Fulfilling Prophecies
by antares520
Summary: Harry has defeated Lord Voldemort at a high cost and left the wizarding world. But when an unexpected visitor shows, Harry must return to fulfill the prophecy. PostOotP. Rated PG for some language. SLOW UPDATING
1. Prologue and Chapter one

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

_**A/N:** My first fanfic! Be nice, I'm still getting the hang of this! I have a few chapters planned out, but I don't really have too much of a plan as to where the story is going, so bare with me. Update's will most likely be sporadic at best, so sorry in advance. Any advice will be taken into consideration and used to help me improve. This first chapter is probably longer than most will be, as it includes a rather lengthy prologue (the writing of which isn't as good as the rest – well to me at least – it was hard!) to provide the background. I will aim for around 2,000 words per chapter._

_Now, onto the story!_

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Prologue**

Albus Dumbledore looked across his desk at the boy, _young man_, he corrected himself. Eighteen-year-old Harry Potter could hardly be called a boy anymore; after all he had faced in his short life – particularly in the last few years. The stress he had faced during the final battles against Voldemort had taken its toll on the Boy-Who-Lived. His bright green eyes had dimmed with the haunting memories of a war he had been forced into by a prescribed fate. Now that the final battle had been fought, ending with Voldemort's soul been encased in a soul-stone, the headmaster felt a sense of relief that the boy would finally be able to live a somewhat normal life.

"How are you Harry?" Dumbledore said in his usual kind voice.

Looking straight at the older man, Harry sighed, holding back the wash of emotions inside him, the anger, despair, grief, but most prominently – relief. "I'm fine, sir. It's just taking a while to accept it all."

Dumbledore nodded, looking over his half-moon spectacles to the tired face in front of him. Once again he thought that Harry had aged too much over the past few years, taking on burdens made for much older shoulders. "I called you here for two reasons today, Harry. The first of which is that the Minister, Madame Bones, wishes to talk to you. The second is the matter of your future." Harry nodded in acknowledgement. He had known both matters would need to be discussed before he left, and had indeed expected them to be the reasons behind the meeting. "But until we are joined by our esteemed Minister, would you like a lemon drop?" The old headmaster's eyes twinkled in amusement as Harry merely smiled and took one of the proffered sweets.

As they were making small talk, there was a knock on the door. It opened to show the Minister for Magic, Madame Bones. The woman had replaced Cornelius Fudge the previous year, and had so far been a great improvement. She came into the room, giving Harry and Dumbledore a small smile and, standing between the two powerful wizards, asked for a moment of their time.

"I'll try to be brief, but what I really need to know – now that you are awake, Mr Potter – is what exactly happened with V-Voldemort at that final battle." Since Voldemort had been defeated, many more people had begun to say his name, though usually not without a stutter or two. "I know you may not want to tell me, or anyone else about everything, but we need to finalise all that happened. Partly so that we can get all the paperwork out of the way, but mostly so we can give everyone some peace of mind at last. They're starting to question what actually happened now that all the celebrating is out of the way." She said with a smile.

Harry shuddered inwardly. He didn't want to relive the battle; it had involved too much death and pain. After he had trapped Voldemort's soul, he had been unconscious for two months, lying in a coma in the hospital wing. Thinking back on it now, he could remember a few times when people had come to visit him. He couldn't recall any specifics about the events, but some of the things spoken around him got through to his unconscious mind. One of the things he did remember rather clearly was a discussion between the Headmaster and Minerva McGonagall. It wasn't a particularly important conversation, but it at least let him know subconsciously that he had done what he had hoped to do. Voldemort had been trapped.

Shifting his gaze downwards, Harry took in a deep breath. "The final battle didn't seem to be progressing very well for either side. We were taking large numbers of Death Eaters, vampires and giants, but large numbers of us were falling too. Albus and I had been planning for over a year how we were going to go about stopping Voldemort; we hadn't found anything that would destroy him so stopping him until we did was our only option. About a month or so before the battle, we finally found the final part of our plan – the soul stone. Do you know much about it, Minister?" Harry looked at Madame Bones, who shook her head in the negative. "Well, it's ancient magic which relies on runic spells to capture and bind an object, person, or in this case only the soul. This type of magic needs a base to bind the target to and only two things were capable of holding the amount of power in Voldemort's soul. One was the staff of Merlin, which we dismissed right away since it is known to have been destroyed; the other is a specific type of stone. The soul stone is very rare and can only be found in the nest of a Death Phoenix. And even if you can somehow find this rare type of Phoenix, they only lay a soul stone every five hundred or so years. Naturally we began a laborious search for such a stone. Once it was finally found, Albus and I began to pour our power into it. We needed it to recognise us and our power for the runic spells to work. Once we were in tune with it, we placed the runic spells – another long and laborious task. The rest of the planning was easy. The next time we came across Voldemort in battle, Albus and I would make our way to him, myself in the lead with Albus hidden close by.

"When the final battle came, we were caught slightly off guard. It was a bit stupid of us really – we had been preparing for a while, yet when it came we took far too long to get our defences in place. I'm getting sidetracked, however. I'm assuming you know all about the rest of the battle? Probably more than I know at any rate." Harry hadn't had much time to get the whole idea of what had happened, and in a way he didn't really want to know – his part was done, he just wanted to leave it alone. "The battle had been going on for a while, and as I said before, neither side was progressing – which was bad news for us as we didn't have large forces to waste as Voldemort did. Albus signalled to me that we should put our plan into action, and so I lead the way. I managed to have a brief 'discussion' with Voldemort first – he tried once again to convince me to join him, while I simply called him Tom and got him angry. That was rather amusing. We began duelling, with our wands first – not our brother wands as that would have been a stupid mistake for either of us – eventually progressing to a sword and magic fight, using wandless magic to channel our powers through the swords, Gryffindor's sword in my case. I have no idea how long we fought for, only that the sky was beginning to lighten as we finished. Once I had disarmed and mortally wounded Voldemort, Albus came from his hiding place and we began the binding spells. I don't know who was watching our backs, but somebody must have been, I remember hearing some sounds of fighting beyond our chanting, and we weren't attacked, so they must have done a good job. The spells took a full quarter of an hour of chanting before they were done and his soul was bound to the stone. By that time we were both exhausted, and the remaining Death Eaters were beginning to realise their master had fallen. A few ran, but most tried to avenge their Lord. Luckily it wasn't until after we had finished that the spells got through to Albus and me. I'm not sure what spell I was hit with, but as soon as I lost consciousness, my portkey activated and I was taken to the hospital wing – where I awoke three months later." Looking at Albus and Madame Bones, Harry felt a little surprised at how easily it had been to talk about once he got started. Speaking directly to the headmaster, Harry asked "is there anything I missed?"

The old man's eyes just twinkled (_irritating twinkle,_ thought Harry) as he shook his head. The minister seemed to be happy with what she had learned, and after bidding them a good day, left to whatever business she had. "Well, Harry. It seems you have done all you need to do, shall we move onto matters of a more current nature? I understand, Harry, that you wish to go to a muggle university?" Said the headmaster, getting straight to the point, a habit he'd gotten into after acknowledging his problem with avoiding issues – like the prophecy. He saw the young man nod and began to explain what he would need to do before he could start.

The two powerful wizards discussed everything from finances, residences, preparation courses right through to what would be done in wizarding or muggle emergency situations. Because Harry wanted to avoid any contact with the wizarding world, he was making sure he knew what he would have to do, without going to ask for help.

After several hours planning, they had arranged for Harry to be enrolled in several wizarding courses designed to prepare him for the muggle world. It wouldn't be too difficult for him since he had grown up as a muggle. However, he still had to learn to do things which most muggles took for granted, which he had never had a chance to learn. These courses would end a few months before the university year began, so he would have enough time once they were finished to get him set up in a muggle life.

**Chapter One**

Looking up at the solid stonework of the old buildings, a twenty-year-old Harry Potter, or Harry Evans as he was now known, couldn't help but compare it with his old school, Hogwarts. The buildings of the university didn't even come close to the magnificence of the castle, but he had to admit they were still impressive. The towering spires and perching gargoyles overlooked courtyards and busy students, giving an air of protection which Harry could feel existed beyond the normal. In his research Harry had found that a few times in the past there had been witches and wizards in high positions at the university, and they had all added their own spells of protection to the university, keeping the students safe from some of the more magical dangers they weren't even aware of. Harry was thankful that there were no witches or wizards at the university at present, Dumbledore had told him that there weren't even very many students here who were part of the wizarding world. When he had started studying Psychology here last year he had added his own protection spells to the existing ones – his were much more powerful.

After his defeat of Tom Riddle, or, as he liked to call himself, Lord Voldemort, Harry had been exhausted by everything. What had consumed so much of his life was now gone, and all his other dreams and worries had seemed insignificant in its wake. He had anticipated the constant harassment by most of the wizarding world, and so Harry left what little he had left to live in the Muggle world. He wasn't missing anything, he had lost everything that was truly important to him to Riddle – his parents, his godfather, so many friends and acquaintances, including two of his closest friends. The loss of his friends had hit him hard, but what had been even harder to cope with was the rejection of his best friend. Ron had wanted nothing to do with Harry in the last few months of the war with Voldemort, and that had left Harry with an almost complete despair that had begun with the death of his girlfriend, Ron's sister, Ginny in the final battle during his first year out of school.

Caught in thoughts of his past, Harry didn't notice someone walk up behind him until they snaked their arms around his waist, chuckling softly when he jumped in surprise. "You must be very distracted; I've never been able to sneak up on you before!" Harry could hear her smile even though he couldn't see her face. He knew who it was – his roommate and good friend.

"Morning, Allie." He tried to turn his head so he could see her and greet her properly, but she was keeping herself buried into his back. "Are you quite comfortable there?" Her head nodded against him, and he shook his head with a smile. "Well, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to let me go. I can't walk go to my lecture with a person attached to my back, can I?"

"Fine, I'll let go. On one condition, you tell me what you were thinking about. You were looking troubled, and I don't want you to be troubled."

Sighing, Harry didn't wait for Allie to let go herself, he detached her and turned to face the short, blonde girl who had been such a comfort to him when he had first been getting used to his new life. "I can't tell you Allie. It's not something that I can talk about to anyone, however much I want to. You know that." They had had this discussion before, whenever she wanted to talk about his past. In the beginning Harry had managed to dodge the subject, but Allie had become more persistent and he had had to refuse her outright. It had become a sore point between them; she just couldn't understand how anyone could refuse to talk about something which was obviously troubling.

Allie spoke in a cooler voice, which still displayed concern and friendship, "I'm sorry you feel you can't talk about it, but it isn't healthy to keep things too yourself."

Harry snorted despite the seriousness of the situation. "Sorry," he said hurriedly at Allie's suddenly angry look, "it's just that I've heard that a lot in my life, and I know better than most the consequences of keeping things bottled up. But I also know the consequences of talking about these things." Like interference from the ministry for breaking the secret of wizards to a muggle, thought Harry. "I swear that if I could tell you, I would. Unfortunately there is not a lot I can do about it."

"You really are a mystery Harry Evans. One I'm going to have to give up on for the moment if we want to get to our lecture on time." Fixing him with an examining gaze, Allie shook her head and, grabbing his hand, led him through the halls.


	2. Chapter two

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_Okay, it took a bit longer than I had planned to get this chapter out (but it is **well** over the 2,000 word goal I set myself!). This was a chapter I hadn't had completely written yet, I had thought it would only take a little bit to finish it off, but then I decided to introduce Connie early. (And then was down when I finally got it finished!)_

_Thanks to: _

hErMiOneRULEZ _– sorry, there's more bad things than just Ron and Ginny, but they will be in the story! Regarding Harry's relationships, there probably won't be much, as I don't know how well I can write it. But, at least at first, Allie will be with someone else, I haven't decided if Harry will find anyone yet, so I'm open to suggestion!_

Rosaline Kells – _thanks :)_

Hermes09 – _All I'll say is that the title is a hint! (And it's probably overdone in this sort of story, but I haven't seen that much of it) Any guesses?_

_And onwards to chapter two!_

* * *

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter Two**

_October 20th 2000_

Sighing from the exhaustion that comes from a long week of studying, Harry walked into the flat at just after five, followed closely by Allie who was in a similar state. It was just the two of them living here now; they seemed to go through flatmates rather quickly and were currently advertising for what must be their fifth one since Harry moved in a year ago. Harry amusedly compared it to the Defence teaching position at Hogwarts, where the 'curse' hadn't been broken until the former auror Kingsley Shacklebolt managed to make it past the one year mark. _He's probably still teaching there now,_ thought Harry as he remembered back to how much the man enjoyed it when Harry had been his aide for part of his first year out of school.

"We really need to find a decent flatmate. Nobody seems to want to live with us for very long!" Harry said to Allie as he started boiling the kettle for a cup of tea. "I think you might be scaring them away." He added the last in a mock-thoughtful tone, deftly catching the cushion the blonde threw at him. He raised an eyebrow in a mild Snape-like manner, "was that _supposed_ to prove me wrong?"

Allie rolled her eyes, "just finish making the tea Evans, I'm buggered." That said, she collapsed on the sofa, feet resting on one arm, head on the other.

"Yes, ma'am, right away ma'am, anything else for you ma'am?" Harry had to do his best to imitate Dobby without laughing, he pulled it off too.

In all apparent seriousness, Allie responded, "I do believe a rich, dark, chocolate cake would go rather nicely with that tea." The cushion Harry was still holding in his hands ended up square in her face.

"Keep dreaming, blondie." Harry said as he carried the tray of tea and biscuits around from the open-plan kitchen to the coffee table in front of the sofa. "Oy, budge over." She didn't move from her stretched out position. Shrugging, Harry sat down – on her stomach.

"Evans! Get off me!" _She really does have a loud voice when she wants,_ thought Harry to himself as his 'seat' continued to scream at him. "You big overgrown male!"

"Nice insult there, Al's. Tea?" Harry asked, his face the picture of innocence.

* * *

That night Harry was sleeping fitfully in his double bed. Sleeping wasn't a pleasant thing for him at the best of times; he had far too many difficult memories to have peaceful dreams. Most nights he relived one of the bad memories that continued to plague him. His parents, Cedric, Sirius; he saw them dying in front of him, because of him. The time he spent in Voldemort's company for over a month, being tortured almost constantly before finally escaping. Hermione, he saw himself once again making the decision that took her life. All the people he had seen die; the memories of the people he had killed; he was plagued with nightmares that played on his fears and most desperate moments. But tonight his dream was one of the ones he disliked the most. 'Disliked' probably wasn't the best word for it; something stronger would be a better description, like 'hated with a passion'. It was a memory of the moments before the final battle. There was nothing to the dream but the actual events; the memory in itself wasn't too bad it was the fact that he knew what followed it that made it hard to bear.

_Harry was looking across the Great Hall from his seat at the head table. He wasn't sure why, but something was different tonight – he sensed that something was going to happen, but didn't want to give in to anymore of his 'insights'. They usually only led him into trouble, even if they were partially or completely right._

_Looking across the four house tables, Harry longed for his first years, when he was still relatively innocent and carefree. Hell, he wished he could face off against a possessed Quirrell again! Tearing his gaze away from the students, he focused on the meal in front of him. It was still untouched; he had been pushing the food around his plate for the last quarter of an hour and was continuing to do so._

"_Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" sounded a smooth, only slightly sneering, voice from Harry's left, pulling him out of his musings._

"_I must have missed that one." Harry replied, matching the potion masters tone. The two had grown more comfortable around each other over the last year, ever since Snape's position as a spy had been found out. While some comments Snape made still brought out Harry's anger, he was learning to distinguish between those said in his style of light-hearted jest, not meant to offend, and those that the man still used to cuttingly get his point across. Harry guessed that his previously snarky potions professor had finally seen that he wasn't the same as his father, and didn't deliberately antagonise him – either that or the headmaster had manipulated him into being nice. Both options were equally likely; although Harry had a feeling the first might have had something to do with the second. Since Harry had completed his NEWT's, he had stayed at Hogwarts so he could be around if he was ever needed. While he wasn't working on Dumbledore's orders for the Order of the Phoenix, Harry had taken up positions as a teacher's aide in both Defence and Potions – having shown a surprising aptitude for the subject once he learnt to ignore Snape in class._

_Looking around the Great Hall, Harry looked at his girlfriend of just over two years. Ginny Weasley's red hair made her easy to find and usually filled him with a sense of comfort. But tonight it only strengthened his feeling of wrongness._

_Snape, noticing the raven-haired boy's sudden shift in attention, spoke in a concerned tone which was seldom heard. "Is something the matter Harry? You look worried."_

"_I'm not sure. Something feels wrong, but I don't know what. I keep thinking something bad is going to happen. And soon." Harry looked at his former professor seriously. "I tend to get these feelings just before something happens, they're not always right but when they are they –"_

_Harry was cut off mid-sentence as the castle alarms went off. The loud wailing sound sent the students into a panicked frenzy. All the teachers sent glances at Dumbledore and Harry, the two who were to lead the school in this situation. Harry felt the pressure threaten to overwhelm him as he thought about the lives he needed to protect. Glancing out across the panicked students, Harry locked his emerald eyes with a pair of brown ones. Drinking in the love and support they gave him. He mouthed 'I love you' as the noise reached a fever pitch, and saw her do the same in return._

_Pushing through the crowding students, the teachers tried to regain some control over the situation. Control that was lost, when, all of a sudden, a loud voice echoed through the school._

"_Hello Harry. Are you ready for me? Are you ready for death?" Voldemort's taunts continued to echo through Harry's mind as he struggled to escape the dream._

Harry woke up slowly, forcing himself out of the dream and back to the present. Noticing that it was still dark through his curtains, he glanced over at his digital clock on the bedside table. 4:37. _Great, just what I need. Another night of bugger all sleep._ Groaning, Harry shuffled out of bed, placing bare feet in a pair of slippers, and walked down the hall to the kitchen.

Making his way around obstacles in the half dark of the night, the raven-haired young man fumbled for the light switch, losing some of his usual grace and confidence he held when he was wide awake in the daylight.

Settling himself down at the table, Harry played absently with his half-full glass of chocolate milk. It was something he had become addicted to in his summer after fifth year. He had had many sleepless nights, and when he was at Grimmauld Place, Molly Weasley or Remus Lupin had always made him a drink – although it was Remus who had first given him the chocolate milk, Molly had soon learn that it was the best thing to calm him down. His dreams hadn't changed much since then, he still saw his parents being killed as they protected him from Voldemort, Cedric was still murdered after they shared the cup, and Sirius still fell through the veil after being hit with a curse by Bellatrix. The only differences were the additions to the dreams; he had gained a lot more things to dream about since then.

Downing the last of his drink in one quick gulp, Harry stood with a sigh and headed back to his room to attempt to sleep again.

* * *

The next morning Harry had felt like absolute crap. He hadn't been able to sleep after going back to bed, so had stayed awake until six am writing in his journal – another habit he had acquired in his sixth year. Once he had decided the morning had properly come, he had gotten out of bed and gone out for a long run. While the run had managed to wake him up some, he was still tired, and knew he would need a quiet day and a good night's sleep to catch up, preferably dreamless.

Unfortunately that day wasn't going to be restful with what Allie had planned.

"Do you remember what day it is? It's October the twenty-first. Remember what you promised you would do today? You promised you'd spend the day with me and my friend! She hasn't been to London for an age, and needs someone to keep her company. You can't back out now, please Harry?" _Allie really is persistent,_ Harry thought as he tried to think of a way to get out of spending the day with his overly-energetic friend and what would undoubtedly be another energetic person.

"You don't need me do you?"

"Haarreee!"

Rolling his eyes at her childish attitude, Harry said, "all right, but you do know that you are almost 21 and shouldn't be acting like a little kid, right?" She stuck her tongue out in response, and he had to chuckle. "So who is this friend anyway? Have I met her before?"

"I don't think you have met her. She's one of my oldest friends; I went to school with her. She's been away overseas for the last couple of years and only got back yesterday."

"Oh, right. I think I remember you mentioning her, what was her name? Connie something?" Harry asked, racking his brain to try and remember the name.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd remember. Connie Granger." Harry froze imperceptibly. Granger… it couldn't be, could it? He never really knew that much about Hermione's family, she could have been a cousin or some other relative. He prayed that she wasn't – that Granger was just a common surname. He didn't think he could handle it, even after so long. Despite the low likelihood of it being a relation of Hermione, something was telling him that there was some sort of connection. It felt like one of his insights that always preceded so much trouble.

* * *

Allie drove them to a small apartment complex on the other side of the city where Connie Granger was living. Allie always drove as she was the only one of the two who had a car, Harry owned a motorbike, but that was only practical if he was going somewhere by himself, or with one other person. Leaving Harry sitting in the car, Allie got out and ran to the doorbell to let her friend know they were there. She came back a moment later and started the car up again.

"What are we doing?" Harry asked. "Where's Connie?"

"She's busy at the moment, so we are going to meet her at the park just down the road. She said she would be about half an hour." Allie spoke as she pulled back out into the London traffic, heading to where the park was.

The park wasn't very large, but there was a dairy across the road and, since it was a hot day, Harry treated his friend to an ice cream while they waited.

It was about thirty-five minutes later, and Allie had gone off to find a bathroom, leaving Harry sitting alone at the bench where they were meeting. Absorbed in watching a group of children playing on the swings, he didn't notice anybody approach until they were only a couple of metres away.

He looked up at the sound of light footsteps and couldn't help a sharp intake of breath. "Hermione," Harry whispered the name softly as he saw Allie's friend. Connie Granger was most definitely a relation of his Hogwarts friend. She had the same hair and the manner with which she carried herself – sure of what she was doing, but not necessarily confident – was the same as the girl he had known for over seven years. Harry must have said the name louder than he had thought, because Connie looked at him, startled, fixing her blue eyes on his face.

"What did you say?" She asked in a low voice, disbelief evident in her tone. It was at that moment that Allie chose to come back; she took in the scene between her two friends with an expression of confusion.

Not wanting to go any further with the topic in the company they were in, Harry muttered "nothing" before trying to turn away and excuse himself. Unfortunately for him, Connie put a hand on his arm stopping him from going any further, though he did not turn to face her.

"You're Allie's friend – Harry? Why did you say my cousin's name?" _Cousin,_ thought Harry, _so that's the relation. Not much hope in avoiding it now._

"You look so much like her, and you act like her as well. I-I'm sorry."

"You knew her well? Then you must have gone to her school. Harry, you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" _Same calculating intelligence,_ Harry thought in wry appreciation.

Finally turning back around to face Connie, Harry gave her a sad smile. "How much did she tell you? About school, about me and my history?"

"Enough." Her single word told him what he needed to know. She knew about the wizarding world.

"We'll talk about this later then." He sent a significant glance towards Allie, who was still looking at the pair in confusion, and saw Connie nod briefly in return.

"Harry? Connie? What's going on?"

Harry looked at his short friend and had the grace to look slightly sheepish, "err, it turns out I knew her cousin very well." He didn't elaborate further, he couldn't right now.

Allie simply raised her eyebrow and locked eye contact. _I wish she would stop doing that,_ Harry thought with a mental groan, _it just brings back memories of certain greasy-haired professors._ "Why did she call you Harry Potter, rather than Harry Evans?"

_Great, just what I needed today. I'm tired; can't I leave the complications for another day? _Harry silently pleaded. "Harry Potter **was** my name. I am now Harry **Evans**." Seeing her open her mouth to speak again he got there first, "and **no** I do not want to talk about it right now."

The three stood in a brief awkward silence, Harry and Allie each trying to stare the other down. Harry won, of course, and Allie turned to properly greet her friend and fill her in on what they had planned for the day.


	3. Chapter three

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_Next chapter. The real story won't start until chapter five (or six, depending on how much I write) so it's still giving background information. Thanks to all reviewers!

* * *

_

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter Three**

_October 21st 2000_

Sinking into the couch, Harry tried to hide from Allie's glare. He wasn't very successful.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew my friend?" She sounded a little angry and was standing, hands on hips, in an intimidating manner, although Harry couldn't quite fathom why. She had seemed to almost forget about it during their busy day; he had hoped she would have forgotten all about it by the time they got home that evening and not ask him any more awkward questions.

"I honestly didn't know who she was, today was the first time I ever met her!" Holding his hands up in surrender, Harry tried to appease his angry flatmate. "I knew her cousin well, before she was … killed. But I never knew much of the family – although they apparently knew about me." He managed to get out the difficult words about what had happened to Hermione before quickly moving on.

Allie quickly dropped her angry glare, "oh, Harry, I wasn't really mad at you. I was only teasing – you're far too easy to tease." She sat down next to him on the couch. "I remember Connie telling me about her cousin; it was just after she left England. Two years ago was it? I didn't know much about it, but Connie really cared for her cousin. On one occasion she spent over two hours on the phone to me, telling me about when they were kids growing up together. They seemed to be really close until they went to different schools." An awkward silence fell, Harry was thinking about why he had never heard much about Connie before. He remembered a few times when Hermione had spoken about a cousin she had been close with, but she never seemed to say much more than that. She had once confided to Harry that she didn't want to say very much about them for fear of getting them dragged into the Wizarding war. A few minutes passed as he was lost in thought. He sensed that Allie was waiting for him to say something, anything at all.

"Hermione was an amazing friend to me. I miss her so much. It hurts all the time, even now, two years later. I've lost so many friends but I somehow manage to make it through the day, remembering them when I can, always knowing they cared for me, and knowing I will always care for them." Feeling his eyes grow damp, Harry quickly stood. He hadn't cried in front of anyone since the day he had woken up in the hospital wing at Hogwarts two months after the battle. "Look, Allie, I know you probably want to talk about this, among other things" _like my name change,_ he thought, "but I can't. Please don't make me go through it."

Allie stood up and gave him a hug, something he still hadn't gotten used to, no matter how often his friends had tried to show him how they felt. "I won't Harry. But if you ever do want to talk about it, I'll listen." He nodded his head above her as she let go to hold him at arm's length. "Now, you better go get some sleep. I know for a fact that you didn't sleep properly last night, and you're supposed to be meeting Connie early tomorrow morning. Off to bed with you, Potter." He noticed the use of his former name, and gave her a smile to show he understood what she meant by it. No matter what he was called, they were still friends.

The next morning, after a sleep filled with images of Hermione, found Harry sitting at a small coffee shop in central London, speaking with the cousin of one of his best friends. "So, you're telling me that she blew up a dessert, in the middle of a family reunion dinner?" Harry had to laugh; he was enjoying himself as he talked with Connie about Hermione. It was helping his ever-present grief to learn more about her life, particularly before Hogwarts.

"Yes! Of course, her parents tried to figure out how most of their family ended up covered in chocolate cake. I remember her telling me afterwards that she had done it. I'm pretty sure I believed her too, but then at six-years-old I believed everything she said." She, too, seemed to be enjoying reminiscing about the cousin she had obviously been very close with.

"I can't imagine Hermione ever believing in something without having real proof for it!" Harry took a sip of his coffee, smiling around the rim of the cup. "Did I tell you about the time in our first year, with the philosopher's stone and the Devil's Snare? It was such a Hermione thing to do, she remembered the facts, and she knew exactly what to do to get us out of danger. She knew we needed to make some sort of fire to free ourselves, but she forgot one important thing."

"What was that?"

"She was a witch. You should've heard her, 'there's no wood!'" Connie laughed at Harry's falsetto voice. "Honestly, she was getting hysterical until I reminded her that she was a witch, and had the only piece of wood she would need in her hand."

They continued to swap stories, filling in the parts that the other didn't know, laughing and smiling over their coffee cups.

Over the next few days, Harry found himself meeting Connie on several occasions. He had the feeling that they both needed to talk about things with someone else. He knew that she hadn't had many people close to her to talk to when she had heard what had happened. And there was the fact that she didn't know everything that had happened. She was never told the full details – not many people knew exactly what had occurred between Harry, Lucius Malfoy, Pettigrew, Dumbledore and Hermione during the Battle of Hogsmeade – but Harry still didn't want to say, even when she asked, in case she might hate him for what he did.

As for himself, he had only had a month to deal with it, and during that time Ron hadn't been talking to him, so he had one less friend to grieve with. It didn't help that he had had to help teach classes, fight against Death Eater attacks, as well as keep up with his own training. Then there was the battle at Hogwarts. And once he had woken up and had to face the world again, he had run away; keeping everything to himself and creating a new life. Talking like this was definitely something they both needed.

Harry also decided that getting to know Connie as herself was a good idea after he accidentally called her Hermione four times in the space of ten minutes. And as he was getting to know her, he found he enjoyed spending time with her as her, not just as Hermione's cousin. He hadn't found a replacement for his lost friend, just a friend who he could talk to about the more secret aspects of his life. And friends like that were few and far between for Harry.

_October 27th_

Sitting at the large desk in his room, Harry frowned as he concentrated on writing his essay. Looking over to an open book beside him, he placed his pen down and flicked through its pages, searching for a piece of information that eluded his mind. After skimming through half the book trying to find it Harry growled softly in frustration. This essay seemed to be incredibly hard, and far too long. He normally didn't have much trouble with his assignments, having had a lot of practice by filling rolls of parchment with homework for his classes at Hogwarts. Of course, the subject matter was very different now, instead of writing about the properties of the Wolfsbane potion, or the problems in cross-species transfiguration, he had to write about the different theories of social psychology in relation to relationships.

Deciding to give up on his work for the evening, Harry removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of the headache which was beginning to form. Sparing a glance at the clock, he saw it was only eight o'clock.

"I needed an early night after this eventful week anyway." Harry muttered to himself as he tidied his desk, beginning to pile the thick textbooks on top of a locked trunk. Stopping abruptly, Harry decided that sleep wasn't what he needed right now. Grinning to himself, he silently checked the charms and wards he always had on his room before magically unlocking the trunk. Pulling out a broomstick and a flowing silver cloak, Harry felt his tension already begin to dissipate.

A few minutes later Harry was looking back down at his bedroom window from high above. This was where he felt right. In the air on his Firebolt Harry could ignore anything, concentrating only on the pull of the air around him, tugging his cloak tightly and making sure it would stay on. Dropping down into a dive, Harry swerved between the branches of the trees, skilfully avoiding their reaching arms. Pulling out of the woods, he came to the road. Flying alongside the cars, Harry felt a sort of pride that his broomstick could keep up with the traffic on the open road.

While he didn't use his magic or magical belongings very often, Harry hadn't wanted to give them up entirely. It was a part of him, Harry Potter, and so he did things like this every so often, so he didn't get completely lost in being Harry Evans.

Harry flew for another half hour before he felt the warning in his mind that meant someone was knocking on the door to his room. Focusing on the image of his room, Harry didn't even bother to land before apparating back. Whoever was outside his door was being very persistent, knocking a steady rhythm.

"Hang on, give me a moment!" Harry called out as he waved his wand over himself, smoothing his windswept hair and changing his clothes to a t-shirt and sweat pants. Once his broomstick and invisibility cloak were safely in his trunk Harry swept his glance around the room, making sure there was nothing out of place, and opened the door.

"It's about time!" Allie said in greeting, "what took you so long?"

"I was asleep; I didn't think it would be a good idea for you to see me in my bed-clothes." Harry said with a smirk.

"Why not? I wouldn't care if you were wearing pink pyjamas with hearts on them – though I might've been a little disturbed by it." said Allie in amused confusion.

Still smiling, Harry raised an eyebrow, "who said I was wearing pyjamas?" He fought back laughter as the girl in front of him blushed, finally realising what Harry meant. "Sorry Allie, I really didn't mean to keep you waiting. Anyway, what brings you to my room this evening?"

"I need your help with the essay," she said, her eyes pleading in her not-so-innocent way.

Groaning, Harry said "not tonight, please. I was working on it for three straight hours this evening. I'll help you tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh, all right. But I'll be sure to keep you to your promise." Allie said rolling her eyes. "Are you sure you're tired? It's still early, and I'm bored and in need of some entertainment." She raised an eyebrow suggestively and Harry laughed at his friend's playful nature.

With a grin, Harry pushed her from his room, "give me ten minutes to get ready, and then we'll go find you some entertainment."

She grinned back and gave him a quick hug before rushing to her room to leave her work behind.


	4. Chapter four

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_I'm almost at the main point of the story! The visitor mentioned in the summary appears at the end of this chapter, so things are actually happening… kinda. This chapter is really just more introducing characters and stuff, and was actually one of the first things I wrote for the story._

_Thanks everyone who reads, and extra thanks to everyone who reviews! You guys rock!_

**

* * *

****Fulfilling Prophecies****

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

_October 27th 2000_

"Come on, the guys are all inside. We can surprise them." Harry said, pulling Allie along behind him. They paused by the security guards at the door before entering the half dark club – Absolution. "If we're quick we can catch the guys before their first set."

"Well then, we better get going! We don't want to miss a chance to talk to them!" Allie spoke eagerly; her broad grin was infectious as she took over the lead. It really was obvious how much she liked Jayce, the lead singer of the band and Harry's good friend. _Now if only Jayce will admit that he likes her back,_ thought Harry with a mischievous grin.

"You're keen, aren't you Allie?" He said jokingly as he followed her to the stage where he could see two members of the five person band known as Committed.

"Hey Lee, hey Chris!" Harry greeted his two friends cheerfully as he approached with Allie. She had been near hysterical when he had mentioned that he knew the band, she had practically begged him to introduce her. They were a favourite group of hers – despite the fact that they only played local gigs – although she had never seen them play when he had been filling in for a while, and she still didn't know that he had at one stage been the, temporary, lead singer of the band.

"Harry! Didn't know you were coming tonight – something about too much work was it?" said Lee, one of the guitarists and occasional singer – teasing Harry as usual. They all hassled him about his strong working habits – particularly since they didn't have any that weren't related to their music.

"Well, Lee, you know what they say," Harry replied with a dramatic sigh, "all work and no play makes Allie drive me insane." He received a punch in the arm for that, but he could see Allie trying not to grin beneath her mock-hurt look.

Harry had met the group the night he was celebrating the end of his training to reacquaint himself with muggle life. He had gone for a drink and had seen them playing. When they had seen him after their first set he was singing one of their songs to himself (_an annoying and embarrassing habit,_ Harry thought to himself), and they offered to buy him a drink as they talked. It turned out they needed a temporary lead singer while Jayce went on a break. Harry had been reluctant at first – not because he was lacking confidence in his singing ability, but because he had always hated being in the spotlight, though he had become more confident with it in his later years at school. But after a couple of beers he agreed to do one song in their second set and let the audience decide.

Unfortunately for him they approved his performance, giving him a reasonable applause which was only dampened because of his lack of confidence. Harry had just been pleased that he hadn't been visibly shaking as he had done the first few times he had had to give a speech in front of a large crowd during the war. Despite his nerves and protestations, the group had given him the job as lead singer for the three months Jayce was away. He would have a month to practice with Jayce, and then he would be performing as a full band member. There was just under a month before the university term started, so he could spend a fair amount of time practicing until then, it would give him something to do.

Harry enjoyed the company of the band members, and still spent a lot of time with them, at practices, gigs, or just hanging out. He even wrote a few songs for them when inspiration struck. He still performed occasionally, when Jayce couldn't make it, or when they played one of his original songs for the first time. The group had become good friends, and the introduction of Allie had brought some much needed feminine perspective. She got along well with all of them, but particularly with Jayce. The two began to get closer, and it was obvious to everyone that they both fancied each other. But they were both stubborn and would seldom admit their feelings to the rest of the group, let alone the other.

"Hey, Harry, you gonna do a song with us tonight? We've been working on that song you wrote, and since it's ready for the public it would only be fair to let you have the first performance." Chris, the second guitarist, spoke with a pleading tone which made Harry laugh.

"Sure, Chris, why not. I'll do it, just because you asked." Chris was always able to get away with anything; at least he could when it came to the opposite sex. His mid-length sandy-blonde hair and blue eyes made him a crowd favourite. "Besides, it'll give Jayce a chance to keep Allie company." The three guys broke into equally mischievous grins as Allie rolled her eyes, a faint blush coming to her cheeks.

"Speaking of whom," Lee said as Jayce came out a back door, along with David, the band's drummer, and Rick, the pianist. "Look who showed up tonight Jayce," he said pointedly to the brown-haired lead singer, "**and** Harry's here too. He's agreed to do the new song so you can sit out with Allie for a little bit later on." Lee didn't lose his grin as he spoke, and in a manner very similar to Allie, Jayce just rolled his eyes before greeting Harry and Allie.

"Hey guys, haven't seen either of you for a while. It has been too long since you brought your heads out of your work and watched us play!" He gave a teasing smile as the two laughed.

* * *

Allie and Harry helped the band move around power cords, amps and all the other equipment that had been stacked to one side of the stage. When it was finally set up how they liked it, the two sat at the bar just off to the side of the stage talking while they could. Soon the club was getting quite busy, and the club manager got on stage to announce Committed.

They were a popular group on the local scene, so they got a very warm welcome from the growing crowd. Soon they were finishing up their fourth song when Lee took centre stage to speak to the crowd.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" He yelled through the mic, getting the attention of every person in the club. He was answered with enthusiastic screams and shouted answers. "Good to hear! Now, I know you all enjoy some of our more thoughtful songs as well as our usual stuff, so tonight we have a little treat for you." Lee was grinning, and looking at Harry who was giving Allie his jacket to look after, aware that he was getting an introduction. "Our occasional singer, Harry Evans, who most of our fans should know by now, wrote the lyrics to this next song, and so is going to sing it in public for the first time! Aren't you lucky?" The crowd cheered once again, most of them knew who Harry was, and his songs were well received as being a bit deeper than the band's usual repertoire. "So, let's get Harry up here to sing his song, Fated Lines!"

Harry jumped onto the stage to another enthusiastic applause; he gave Jayce a quick hand shake as the microphone was handed over. Watching as the brown-haired singer took the seat next to Allie; Harry smirked and thought, _those two really are blind._

"Right, let's get this song started!" Harry said into the mic, nodding to David, the drummer, to start off the song. Harry closed his eyes, listening to the music – they always managed to convey the mood of his lyrics, usually thoughtful and just a little dark and moody. The drum solo was soon joined by the piano and a simple guitar rhythm before Harry began singing.

_I feel like I'm stuck,  
__Living a life of fated paths.  
__No control over where my feet lead,  
__No control over where my heart beats,  
__No control over me._

Harry sang the words with emotion, thinking about the reason he had written the song. It, like many of his others, had been written about the things he had seen and felt in his life. His friends never knew what they were really about, but they were sufficiently impressed by them not to ask.

_I move across the chessboard,  
__Manipulated unseen.  
__White against black against shades of grey,  
__It blurs before me.  
__I'm counting down till I'm free,  
__Of this life been fated me.  
__Will I ever be in control of my destiny?  
__It lies before me._

He was joined in the chorus by Lee. Harry could hear Rick playing the piano in the background, but was thinking only about the words he was singing, and the feelings and memories they brought back.

_I feel like I'm stuck,  
__Living a life of fated paths.  
__No control over where my feet lead,  
__No control over where my heart beats,  
__No control over me._

_Without the hope I perceive,  
__I walk alone.  
__Surrounded by shadows of shades of grey,  
__I'm feeling empty._

_Walking down this winding road,  
__I'm lost without a guide.  
__Losing myself to the fated paths,  
__I'm feeling adrift._

_I feel like I'm stuck,  
__Living a life of fated paths.  
__No control over where my feet lead,  
__No control over where my heart beats,  
__No control over me._

The song was coming to the ending now, and Harry couldn't help but be very impressed with the way the guys had put the song together. Each part of the song complemented the other, balancing off the delicate piano strands with the heavier beats of the drum. The guitars played, supporting the lyrics and pushing the song forward through its climax.

_I'm counting down till I'm free,  
__Of this life been fated me.  
__Will I ever be in control of my destiny?  
__It lies before me._

_I feel like I'm stuck, (in this moment)  
__Living a life of fated paths. (I'll find my way)  
__No control over where my feet lead, (they lead me home)  
__No control over where my heart beats, (it beats alone)  
__No control over me. (Fated paths)  
__No control over me. (Fated paths)  
__No control._

Harry trailed off on the last words, letting the last piano notes drift into the wild applause of the crowd. Looking out over the sea of dimly lit faces, Harry saw approval. _Whew,_ he thought, wiping a mental hand across his brow, _the first time is always the hardest._

"So, what did you think?" Harry asked the crowd. The cheering rose in answer, bringing a smile to his face. He looked over at Jayce and Allie, and saw the two of them sitting close, Allie's head on Jayce's shoulder, the singer seemed to have no intention of moving anytime soon. Turning his head to speak to the rest of the band, Harry said "what so you say I sing till the end of the set? I think Jayce is a little preoccupied." They four guys broke out into wide grins, nodding their agreement.

"'Kay, seems like I'm gonna finish the set up for Jayce guys," Harry checked the song list to see what he would be singing, "and it seems the next song is one of my favourites of Committed's early songs."

The group launched into the next song, then the next, and then the final song of the set. Harry received enthusiastic applause for each song; he gave them his own style, but kept to Committed's overall style, giving the audience something slightly different in the songs that many of them already knew well.

By the time the first set was finished, Jayce and Allie looked very comfortable, having relocated to an unoccupied couch against the wall of the club. Harry and the rest of the band left the audience to pre-recorded music arranged by the club and headed over.

"Hey, you two are looking cosy," Chris teased with a smirk, "I don't suppose there's any more room on that couch?" The two blushed and moved so that they weren't taking up the whole seat. "So, did Harry get the groups approval with that new song?"

"Hell yeah. That was awesome Harry. I still can't believe a guy like you can write such meaningful song lyrics!" Jayce teased.

"Yeah, Evans, where did you get the inspiration from? All I can ever come up with is 'you say tomayto, I say tomahto'!" Lee picked up the teasing while Harry merely rolled his eyes. This was nothing new.

"Well I still can't believe that you guys can manage to put the music to the words. I reckon you've got the hard part." Both Chris and Lee grinned at the compliment, bowing in exaggerated grace. David and Rick merely laughed at their antics, and Jayce was once again preoccupied talking to Allie. Seeing this, Harry looked seriously at the rest of the guys and said, "I think you may have lost your singer, he seems to be in the clutches of a mysterious force. I don't know if he will be strong enough to escape."

Lee, the biggest joker, carried on the charade, and said in an overly dramatic voice, "oh, Jayce, we barely knew ye! You're too young to die!" at which, Allie promptly whacked him over the back of the head. "OW! What was that for?" The short blonde just raised an eyebrow as if to say, _you really need me to answer that?_ "Uh, right, sorry Al's." Lee apologised as he shuffled away from the high-tempered girl.

* * *

The group had a good night; the band performed their second set with Jayce spending half his time looking across at Allie, and Harry spent a lot of the time trying to figure out exactly how that had happened. Unfortunately Allie wasn't saying much, except that she had apparently gotten a dose of courage and managed to make the first move. In trying to divert the conversation away from her, Allie tried to talk to Harry about Connie Granger. She didn't seem to believe him when he said he wanted nothing more than friendship from her.

"But you met her four times last week! How can that be only friendship?"

"I needed someone to talk to about Hermione; we both needed to talk about it, and became friends in doing so. Friends, that's all!"

"I think I better ask her. She'll tell me." Harry let out an exasperated sigh at her disbelief. She could be very stubborn when she got something into her mind.

Once Committed had finished playing at around 1 a.m., the six friends had sat around having drinks and talking. The club was mostly empty by the time they left, an hour and a half later at two-thirty a.m.

Since David never drank, he was always the delegated driver, dropping everybody home. Harry was glad for small reprieves as he felt the effects of a long week and a night of drinking begin to catch up to him. He and Allie were dropped off first as they were closest, the two of them stumbling in the door after Allie said 'goodbye' to Jayce.

"Night Al's." Harry murmured as he made his way drowsily to his room. He vaguely heard Allie's reply, but his fogged mind didn't seem to want to recognise it. Drifting off to sleep in a spinning room wasn't fun, Harry mused, but at least he didn't get the dreams this way.

* * *

"Harry," Allie called out down the hall, "you got a visitor!" Harry groaned at the feeling of his head when bombarded by loud sound. Allie didn't get hangovers, and loved to rub in the fact that he did. It was getting to early evening, and Harry still had his headache after the night out. Deciding he really didn't want to deal with anyone with a headache the size of Hogwarts, he quickly opened his trunk and pulled out a headache potion – that and dreamless sleep potion were the only two he had.

Heading to the lounge where Allie's voice had called from, Harry stopped short in the doorway.

Why did he always get these sorts of surprises when he was tired?


	5. Chapter five

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N:** _Since I've had this chapter written since before I really decided to write this fic I'm gonna post it now. I didn't actually think about the cliffie when I wrote it, it was just an easy way to work into this chapter (that's not to say I don't enjoy cliffhangers though!). Last chapter was a filler, and now we actually start getting into the story. The next chapter will deal with some reactions, and then hopefully the one after that will reveal the reason for visitor._

_The editing thing doesn't seem to be working completely for me, so let me know if there's any formatting mistakes etc. and I'll try and fix them._

_Once again thanks to everyone who has read or reviewed this, it really does make me want to get it written and posted faster!_

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter five**

_October 28th 2000_

It was the last person he expected to see. The friend he had lost, not through death, but through a lack of communication and grief. But there he was, standing nervously in the sitting room, hair as red as ever but with an overall much harder and weary look than he had had before their last years at school. He had, thankfully, shown up wearing muggle clothes rather than wizarding robes which would have drawn too many more questions from the curious Allie.

Silence had fallen across the three people standing in the room, the tension forming thickly in the air. For his part, Harry was shocked and confused. He was finding it difficult to hide his reactions, despite his usual skill at hiding his emotions. His confusion seemed to have spread to Allie, because she was looking between the red-haired stranger and her black-haired friend with a frown on her face. Harry also saw the nervousness Ron was feeling, as well as a fear of something – he couldn't quite pick what.

Eventually Harry spoke, barely breaking the silence with his soft voice, "Allie, would you please give us some time alone? I get the feeling Ron has something he wants to talk about." Ron nodded his head slightly in agreement. Allie left the room after fixing Harry with a look that clearly said 'you'll be explaining all this later'. Harry simply tilted his head to the door and she rolled her eyes before leaving the two young men alone.

The silence continued even after they had privacy. Not wanting to be the first to speak since he didn't know how much Ron's feelings towards him had changed, Harry settled for sitting in an armchair while Ron remained standing awkwardly. As time moved on, Ron eventually perched himself on the edge of a couch opposite Harry.

Five minutes later, Harry gave up waiting. He pulled his wand from the holster that he always strapped to his forearm and, muttering a silencing charm, waved it in the direction of the door to prevent Allie from 'accidentally' overhearing any of their conversation. Their privacy ensured, he looked straight at Ron and spoke.

"What's up Ron? You've never been one for social calls before, not that I'm not glad to see you, but I've got to admit you've got me curious as to what's happening. Not to mention you're nervous as hell." Harry spoke in a light but serious voice, letting his friend know he wasn't going to yell at him, or act like anything but friends, and also to try and get him to relax slightly.

It seemed to work at least a little. Ron raised his eyes to meet Harry's face. "I … I really don't know how to say this," he began in a shaking voice, "but you've got to know that I'm sorry, so sorry about what I've done. I was such an idiot, not thinking clearly, and now it's you who is going to suffer. I'm so sorry Harry, please, just know that before I tell you anything else." He sounded desperate, and was starting to get slightly hysterical. Knowing he had to get Ron to talk about everything, but now absolutely dreading what he would ear, Harry reassured Ron that he understood he was sorry.

This seemed to calm Ron a little, and he began to speak in a soft hesitating voice. "For over two years I've been grieving, at first it was just for Hermione, and then later the war began to take its toll. I began to grieve for so many more people – after Sirius and Hermione, it was Ginny and Dad, as well as so many others in that last battle. You and I were no longer friends, I was angry at you, I still am in so many ways, but I also felt like you, too, were a casualty of the war. I lost you; you became everyone else's, their centrepiece, and their leader."

"And their pawn." Interjected Harry, he didn't even attempt to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Well… yeah. I see that now more than I did then. But you became so different during the war." He held up his hands as Harry began to speak again, "I know, we all changed. But you changed most of all of us. Anyway, I'm kind of delaying the point here." He gave a sort of nervous chuckle which sounded more like a sob. "What I'm trying to say is that I lost everything in that war, but the two people I lost which hurt me most were 'Mione and Ginny. I … I blamed you for both their deaths, I still do." He added the last in a whisper before taking a deep breath, composing himself to start speaking again.

Harry, taking the opportunity, said "Hermione's death _was_ my fault Ron. I know this. I live with that decision every day; it haunts my dreams all the time. I don't want to ever stop having to relive it, because if I do I will forget how dangerous I was, and still am, to those close to me. I understand you blaming me for her death, hell I'm glad you do, but Ginny… she was… I never could have stopped her from getting involved. Even if I had locked her inside the castle with everyone else, she would have found a way to be a part of it, risking her life along with everyone she cared about." He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Do you know what she said to me once?" He paused as Ron shook his head. "It was only a couple of nights before the final battle. She asked me to take care of you 'if the worst happened'. She knew what might happen to her at any time, we all knew the reality of the war far too well. I promised her I would take care of you if she died, but when you pushed me away, when you attacked me over it, I couldn't do anything. I would have done anything to try to help you if you had only let me." He sighed, thinking of the times he had tried to talk to Ron, only to be ignored or attacked. "But I'll still honour that promise. If you give me the chance I will help you. I will talk, listen, whatever you need. And not just because of the promise I made to Gin, but also because you were my first friend, and you still are my best friend." Harry wiped half-formed tears from his eyes, noticing as he did so that Ron didn't even bother to wipe away his. He was just letting them fall as he muttered "I'm sorry" over and over.

Getting up from his seat, Harry moved to sit next to his red-haired friend. Putting his arms around him, he tried to comfort him the best he could, but he didn't seem to notice the arms or the soft reassurances that were given.

They had been sitting like this for a few minutes when there was a knock on the sitting room door. Harry noticed his friend's breath had evened out, and he was now asleep, but he didn't want to disturb him yet. So with as little movement as possible, he removed the silencing charm and said "come in. He watched Allie come in with a tray of tea and biscuits, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the scene. Her usually implacable friend was red around his green eyes, and the childhood friend she had heard about a few times was asleep in his arms, still crying quietly.

Placing a finger to his lips, Harry slowly stood up, laying the sleeping red-head gently on the couch. Once he had covered him with a blanket, Harry led Allie out of the room and into the small kitchen where they poured themselves cups of tea from the steaming pot.

Sipping at the hot drink, Harry could see his friend was about to ask him some questions. A moment later she fixed him with her steely blue eyes and spoke.

"What's wrong Harry? I know you better than most, at least I think I do, and I've never seen you this worried about anyone, or anything, before. Is there something wrong with your friend?" She spoke in a concern-filled voice, but her tone didn't allow him to back out of her questions.

The raven-haired twenty-year-old sighed. He couldn't just brush her questions off anymore. She had a right to know some of what was happening – he would have to tell her without actually telling her anything. And if what Ron still had to tell was as serious as it seemed to be, then he couldn't risk _not_ telling her.

"It's not Ron who's got me so worried." He began as he placed a hand to his forehead, trying to stave of his headache a little longer. "I _am_ worried about him, but I'm more worried about why he's here. The last time I saw him, about two years ago, he didn't want anything to do with me. He was angry with me, more than he had been before – I guess he'd had a chance to think more about all the things that happened to him, and others, because of me." Not letting Allie interrupt he continued speaking, trying to explain as best he could. "Anyway, I never expected Ron to show up, willingly, at my place. So there was obviously a reason for his visit. He hasn't told me yet what the reason is, but what he has said so far makes me very worried about what it could be." He trailed off there, not able to explain much better without giving away everything about his past and the wizarding world.

Allie looked confused yet sympathetic at his words, she let the silence stretch for a moment longer before asking, "But what could his reason be? What would make him come here in such a nervous state, and get you so worked up?"

Harry screwed up his eyes, running a hand through his hair as he thought. On the one hand, he wanted to tell his friend about what was happening, and the danger she might be in. On the other, he really didn't know how he could explain that he was a wizard, that he had killed people, and had been the reason for many other deaths as well. "There is a lot you don't know about me Allie. I'm much more than I appear to be, and I don't really know how to give you the answers you deserve right now." She looked about to protest at the way he was, once again, brushing her off. "I will tell you. But not now, I need to think about this before I explain. I also really need to speak with Ron first, before I begin to spout off my theories. So, how's this, I'll talk to Ron tomorrow sometime during the day, and then tomorrow evening you and I will sit down and have a big discussion."

She paused briefly to consider what he was saying, it seemed much more serious than what she had expected, but she was finally going to get the answers she wanted – she wasn't going to give up the chance. She nodded her head.

"Thank you, Allie." Harry spoke softly as she was leaving the kitchen.

"What for?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"For understanding my need for time, it's more than I got from others." He sighed as he, too, began to leave the kitchen. "Have a good nights sleep, you'll need it."


	6. Chapter six

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_I kinda didn't do what I had planned to do in this, I managed to turn this into another filler chapter, sorry! I swear my muse just ran away with the story and took Harry on an unplanned trip. Anyway, explanations will be either next chapter or the one after.  
__Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you guys motivate me (did that sound as cheesy as it did in my head ;).  
_Lil Miss Potter _I'm glad you noticed the band's similarities to Fred and George! It was something I was aiming for, so yay! There should be a little bit more interaction before Harry goes back, but even when he does, the band and Allie will still be in the story.  
_Santa Claus _I'm sorry!! I kinda wished I hadn't killed Ginny, but then that's kind of a big part of the story, so I didn't have much choice, do you forgive me? I'm thinking Harry won't have much in the way of relationships, and if he does they definitely won't be with Connie or Allie, they're just friends. I know exactly what you are saying about Ron and Connie, and have already thought about all that, so hopefully it will all work when they meet (which they will). Thank you for the long review! I appreciate it :)  
__Thank you to everyone else who has reviewed too!_

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter six**

_October 29th 2000_

The next morning, Harry woke up wondering why he was feeling so nervous. It didn't take much for him to remember Ron showing up at his place last night, and the awkward conversation they had had. And, of course, the promise of more conversations to come; with both Ron and Allie.

Getting up, Harry made his way to his desk to check his appointment diary to make sure he had nothing on today. As he looked, he noticed it was the 29th, of October. He hadn't really realised what the date was, and now he had a lot of other things to think about on top of all the memories of previous years. _I really hate this time of year,_ Harry thought, _I never seem to get a break at Halloween_.

Showered and dressed by six-thirty, Harry felt glad he had a tendency to wake up early; he at least had a chance to have a brief conversation with Ron before Allie woke up. He found Ron asleep on the couch where he had left him, and began to make a cooked breakfast as quietly as he could.

Not quietly enough to keep Ron asleep, however, as he rolled over in a daze, misjudging the size of the couch and landing in a heap on the floor, which Harry could just see through the open door.

Giving a quiet snort, Harry said, "Some things don't change much, do they Ron? I lost count of the number of times you did that after sleeping down in the common room."

The red-head looked around him, looking, for all appearances, as though he was trying to locate himself. His gaze settled on Harry and he gave a half smile, "Yeah, but some things do. I never remembered you cooking breakfast for me before."

Smiling back, Harry decided he would say as little as possible about the previous night. He wanted to enjoy this semblance of friendship for as long as he could. "So, what would you like? Bacon? French toast? Eggs?"

"It all sounds good." Ron asked as he made his way into the kitchen, sitting himself down at the table.

"The works it is then." He piled a plate with some of everything and placed it in front of Ron, who began eating as Harry helped himself to his own breakfast.

They sat in silence, eating and shooting nervous glances at each other when the other wasn't looking. Harry finally broke the silence when both of them had finished eating their second helpings.

"I'm going to go out this morning, I have to meet a few people. I'll be back just after lunch. Then you can tell me what you need to say." Harry spoke softly, trying not to make a big deal of it, even though it was most definitely a big deal to Ron who had turned slightly pale. Ron simply nodded in acknowledgement. Harry sat for a moment longer before standing and putting the plates in the sink to deal with later. "You're welcome to use the shower, if you need anything ask Allie. She'll probably be up at about nine. She doesn't know about me by the way. I haven't told her anything, and I would appreciate it if you didn't either until after I've explained things." Another nod. "Well, I'll be off then. I'll see you later." Harry sighed as he left the room, leaving a desperate looking young man alone at the table.

---

He had lied a little to Ron when he said he had to meet a few people. He hadn't had any definite plans other than a passing comment that he might visit Connie at some stage, and the idea of going to see the guys. Harry mostly just wanted time to think about things, straighten his mind out a little more before talking to his best friend. So he sat.

He was at a park far away from the anywhere he frequented, his motorbike parked a short distance away. It was still rather empty, being only seven-thirty on a Sunday morning; the only other people were just passing through on their way somewhere else, or just getting some exercise. Harry made himself comfortable on one of the benches, lying stretched out on his back with his feet hanging over the end. Running his hands through his black hair, Harry thought about how Ron had seemed last night.

His friend had been nervous, scared, and reluctant to talk. Ron had never seemed that way, not even when Harry had told his friends about the prophecy. It was disconcerting to think what may have caused this reaction, and – judging by what Ron had said – why he had done something so obviously distressing.

The mere fact that Ron had come to see Harry meant that it was big, and unfortunately bad in the Dark Lord way. He wished Ron would have come to talk to him sooner, and in better circumstances. Harry had tried to send letters to Ron in his first year away, but Mrs Weasley had eventually said in one of their infrequent conversations that he wasn't even reading them, simply destroying them as soon as he could.

Mrs Weasley. That was someone else he would have to talk to. Maybe she would be able to tell him what Ron had been doing? _Better to talk to her after I've spoken to Ron,_ Harry thought as he raised himself into a sitting position, _he might just blow his top if he hears that I went to his mother._ Before he left he had told the Weasley's his plans for the next few years, and said he probably wouldn't be in contact with them very much, if at all. It would be easier for him if he didn't have any contact with the wizarding world and thankfully they had understood and accepted this. He did still receive his Weasley jumper every Christmas though.

Letting his thoughts wander, Harry thought about each of the Weasley's in turn, wondering what they were up to these days. They had mostly been planning on staying close to home and family. He knew Bill had been planning on getting a desk job at Gringotts in Diagon Alley because a stray curse had slowed him down a little. Charlie was probably still helping Hagrid teach care of magical creatures with a little bit of Quidditch refereeing and training. Percy, who had finally been forgiven at the end of Harry's sixth year, had just received a promotion to head of international wizarding relations before Harry had left. Fred and George, hopefully they were still running Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Harry didn't want to think his continued investments had already become redundant. _It would be good to see them all again,_ thought Harry.

Once again his thoughts strayed back to Ron, now the youngest Weasley without his younger sister. Ron had been troubled in his sleep last night, something so unlike the red-head who used to appear completely innocent and relaxed when he slept. Harry had been the one who would lie awake trying not to let the nightmares disturb him. Ron had had nightmares, who hadn't back then? But on the whole they didn't seem to trouble him too much or too often. Harry thought about the last time he had seen Ron. It had been shortly after he had woken from his three-month stay in the hospital wing. He had wanted to talk to his friend about what had been happening between them. He had wanted to try to restore their friendship in light of Riddle's defeat.

_Ron was standing on the top of the Western tower, staring out over the Forbidden Forest. He looked like shit, which was pretty much how Harry felt. Approaching Ron with heavy footsteps – nothing good would happen if he startled him – Harry tried to calm his nerves._

"_Hi," he began weakly as he stood next to Ron. "How are you doing?" Harry was trying. He wanted to work things out. Ron didn't._

"_Get away from me." Ron said, pushing Harry away from him and turning towards the open door._

"_Ron – " Harry began to speak, trying to make the other boy listen._

"_Don't Potter. There's nothing you can say to me. Just go somewhere else, and **don't** bother me." The red-head's voice was cold, and Harry couldn't stand it. He was used to being cast aside by now; hell – he and Ron hadn't been real friends for a while now. But he had thought that after it was all over they might at least try to fix what had been broken._

_Reaching out, Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder. That was the wrong thing to do. "Don't touch me, freak! Everything you touch dies." Ron pushed Harry away from him – towards the edge of the tower. "Cedric, Sirius, He-Hermione and Ginny, everyone dies – because of you." Continuing to push him, with words as well as actions, Ron was being cruel in a way he never had been, deliberately making Harry feel guilty. "Why don't you just finish yourself of too? You've done your job. You've killed the bad-guy and become even more of a hero. There's nothing left for you here." He pushed Harry one last time, and he felt the wall of the tower against his legs. Ron walked away from him, turning at the door and pulling something out of his pocket. "Here, you can take this back." He threw the small object at the raven-haired boy who automatically reached out to grab it, almost losing his balance off the edge._

_As the tower door slammed, Harry sank to the cold stones, clutching the object to his heaving chest. He sat for a long time, eventually his sobs died down and he looked at the object. It was a chess piece. A black rook carved delicately from ebony. The figure riding the armoured horse looked remarkably like his red-haired friend. This was the last present Harry had ever given Ron. He had carved and charmed it himself to replace his friend's missing piece. It was also a reminder of all they had been through together, a particular memory of their first year._

Bringing himself back to the present, Harry decided he had done enough thinking. He needed to take his mind of Ron for a bit. Standing up Harry glanced at his watch; it was now eight-thirty, still early. Making a quick decision, he went to his bike and started it up, zipping up his leather jacket before putting on his helmet.

Soon he was heading down the road, out in the direction of Little Whinging, Surrey.

---

A while later Harry found himself turning down Privet Drive, giving a dry smile at the unchanged houses that lined the street. Number four was likewise unchanged. The garden was still well-kept, meaning either Harry's uncle had given and hired a gardener, or his aunt had found a new interest besides spying on the neighbours.

Harry had parted with his family on good terms; largely due to Petunia's negotiations and explanations. When he had come back after his torture session at the end of his sixth year, she had looked after him, making sure he had taken the necessary potions at the correct times. The two had talked and he had learnt more about his mother, while she had learnt more about her nephew.

Leaving the bike in the driveway, Harry took of his helmet and held it in the crook of his arm as he knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door opened and Harry was facing his Aunt Petunia for the first time in over a year.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia." Harry spoke with only a hint of nerves, unsure how she would react to him showing up on her doorstep. She didn't say anything as she stood there, raising a hand to her mouth in shock. After a moment she wrapped her arms around her in an awkward (_and slightly bony,_ Harry thought) hug.

"Harry, it's so good to see you again." She quickly ushered him inside and into the kitchen where Vernon was sitting at the table. He lifted his eyes to see who the visitor was, and Harry saw them widen in surprise.

"Harry?" He stood up and offered his hand, which Harry shook as he smiled softly at his uncle. While the two hadn't gotten along as well as Harry and Petunia, they had managed to come to a sort of truce, which had become much more comfortable when Vernon had seen how useful magic could be. "It's good to see you again, boy. Here, let me take that for you and leave you two to talk." He took Harry's helmet from him, and Harry heard him go into the living room and open a newspaper.

"He didn't have to leave." Harry said to his aunt.

"I know, but he hasn't been well recently and likes to take things peacefully. And one thing you never seemed to be was peaceful."

"Isn't that the truth." Harry paused awkwardly for a moment before taking the seat Vernon had vacated. "Look, I'm sorry for just showing up here, but I needed to take my mind of a few things, and there aren't many other people I could talk to who would understand."

"It's all right Harry you don't need to explain yourself; though it would be best if you didn't stay too long. Dudley is coming for lunch at eleven-thirty, and I think it best if you're paths didn't cross." She said this with an apologetic smile. While Harry had learnt to get along with his aunt and uncle, his cousin had been a different story. Things had become increasingly strained between the two after Harry had been allowed to use magic at home. "Now, how about some tea? It always seems to help the conversation flow."

"That would be nice, aunt Petunia."


	7. Chapter seven

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_And finally the mystery is revealed, well mostly. You find out what Ron did, but not why, how etc. that may be a while coming, but hopefully this will satisfy you. You'll all be glad to know that my muse came back and stayed on track for this chapter, but unfortunately he took a slight detour for next chapter._

_Anyway, thanks again everyone who reviewed, that is (for the last chapter): _Britni Puccio; Dark Elven; Gaul1; and cariluv.

_Now don't forget to hit that little button at the bottom once you've finished reading!_

* * *

**Fulfilling Prophecies

* * *

**

**Chapter seven**

_October 29th 2000_

Harry spent just over an hour talking with his aunt. He told her about Ron showing up, and what it might mean, but mostly they talked about what they had been doing. He learnt that his uncle had had a heart attack about a month ago after Dudley had been arrested for assault, and was now doing much better but still taking things quietly. Harry told Petunia about the things he was studying, the grades he had gotten in his first year, and about Allie and his other friends.

By the time Harry left, he was feeling much better. He was much more relaxed, and felt he could handle what Ron would tell him. Driving down the motorway on his motorbike, Harry smiled in appreciation. The reason he had gotten his motorbike was because it reminded him so much of riding his broomstick, feeling the wind rushing past, the increased risks he could take. Harry had become a bit of a thrill-seeker after leaving the wizarding world, he would go out and do things that most of his friends thought were insane (though Lee and Chris were often egging him on), it was mostly to compensate for the lack of excitement and continuous danger he had faced back at Hogwarts.

Harry hit a few Sunday morning drivers on his way back into town, and so didn't end up getting to Jayce and Lee's place until just after ten-thirty. Unfortunately this meant they were still asleep when he got there.

"Hey, Jayce, Lee! Come on guys, wake up!" Harry yelled as he banged on the door. A couple of minutes, and one annoyed neighbour, later, Jayce opened the door.

"Whaddaya want?" He slurred, rubbing his eyes.

"You look like you've just woken up." Harry said with a smirk taking in Jayce's bare chest and blue silk boxer's, ignoring the look of indignation that crossed his face. "Can I come in? Or are you going to make me stand out here?"

_Maybe I shouldn't have suggested that_, Harry thought as the door was slammed in his face. Thankfully his friend wasn't quite awake enough to lock the door as well, so Harry walked in and sat on the couch, picking up a magazine and flicking through it.

The black-haired young man sat there for another quarter of an hour before Lee emerged from his room, dressed and looking profoundly more awake than Jayce had.

"Hey, Evans. I s'pose there is a reason for you waking us up at this ungodly hour?"

Harry smiled, "not really. I just felt like visiting. I've already been out to see my Aunt and Uncle out in Surrey this morning."

Lee gave him a weird look, "how on earth did you manage to get up early enough to do that and still get here at" he looked at his watch, "just before eleven? I swear you're not human, you don't act like a typical twenty-year-old male."

"Well, you see I actually have magical powers that mean I can survive on a measly nine hours sleep!" _Well, usually it ends up a little less and last night was only six, and I don't tend to use my powers for that, but otherwise it's true,_ he thought as he smiled back at his friend.

"Yeah, sure Harry. How 'bout you show me some of your magic powers then?"

Grinning, Harry said, "ah, but that would be giving away my secrets. I couldn't let just anyone know them!"

"Oh, yeah, of course. I understand completely." Harry raised an eyebrow. "What? I do, if other people knew you could do magic, then there would be no telling the chaos! Imagine, all those people asking you to do things for them, all those girls asking such a 'powerful man' for help. Actually, I don't understand, but hey, it's your loss!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry threw a cushion at Lee, hitting him square in the face. Lee just stood for a moment, as if trying to decide whether he had the energy to start a fight he knew he would lose. He seemed to decide against it as he shrugged and sat next to Harry on the couch.

"So, what's with the visit? I know you said you just felt like it, but that is so unlike you that there must be some other reason."

"I had a visit from an old friend last night. It was completely unexpected, and I don't even know why he came yet." Harry shrugged, "I just wanted to get out for a bit. I spent about an hour sitting in a park somewhere, just thinking about it. Then I decided I didn't really want to think about it, so went visiting people to take my mind off of it."

"Fair enough." Lee stood, "I s'pose you've had breakfast already?"

"Yeah, and a cup of tea with my aunt. But I could do with a snack."

"Well then, sir, if you would proceed to the kitchen, I'm sure we can manage something reasonable." Lee said, bowing and gesturing for Harry to lead the way.

* * *

An hour, two pieces of toast and a few games on the Playstation later, Harry knocked on the door to Jayce's bedroom. "Hey, Jayce," he called through the door, through which he could hear someone moving around, "sorry for waking you up this morning. I just needed to get my mind of things for a bit. Anyway, I'm off now. I'll see you later."

Harry was turning away from the door when it opened, "Harry, wait up. Don't worry 'bout before, I was just tired and snappish." He paused for a moment as though considering something. "Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you heading back to your place now?" Jayce asked hopefully.

Harry smiled politely, "yeah I am. Why?" He knew why, but it was fun watching Jayce's attempts at being casual.

"Do you think I could catch a ride?"

"What would you want to do at my place?" _This is fun,_ Harry chuckled mentally, outwardly keeping a straight face.

"Um, I wanted to, um, see Allie."

"You're blushing. Jayce Fletcher is actually blushing. Priceless." Harry grinned at him, making him blush even more.

"Shut up. Well, can I?"

"Yeah, sure. But things are a little tense around there at the moment, an old friend of mine showed up, and, well, it's complicated." Jayce still wanted to go and visit Allie, so the two said bye to Lee and headed off on Harry's bike, Jayce on the back wearing one of the spare helmets Harry kept at their place.

Shortly before they reached his place, Harry turned into a parking lot outside a bakery. "I'm just gonna go grab some stuff for lunch, I'll be right back." He said as he handed Jayce his helmet.

After buying a loaf of bread as well as a packet of biscuits, Harry walked out of the bakery, bag in hand. He was halfway back to his bike when he stopped dead. Jayce, who was standing by the bike, looked across at his friend curiously, wondering at his strange actions.

Feeling a hauntingly familiar feeling, Harry dropped the bag, his hands flying to his forehead in an attempt to block out the pain.

It was as though something was attempting to break out, pushing at him and trying to find a weakness. The pain wasn't as bad as it had been at other times in the past, but it was more persistent, and gaining in strength. Beginning to be overwhelmed by it, Harry dropped to his knees as Jayce came running up to him, calling his name and asking what was wrong. He couldn't answer his friend's frantic calls, they were too far away, too distant. And he was in too much pain to understand them.

In the same manner it had started, it finished, gradually easing off until it was only a dull throb in his scar. Despite the fact that he had lived with the same amount of pain almost constantly since Voldemort's rebirth, Harry felt it much more acutely than he had back then. He had grown used to it being pain-free, and to be reminded of the feeling this sharply was shocking, to say the least.

Feeling more aware of himself and his surroundings, Harry lifted his head from his hands and looked Jayce in the eye. Jayce couldn't help but take a step back at the haunted and desperate look that had filled his friend's emerald eyes.

"What have you done, Ron?" Harry whispered as he sat staring at nothing, knowing all too well what he had just felt.

Voldemort, he was being revived. His remaining supporters and gotten hold of the stone and were attempting to bring him back. Harry had known, of course, when he had imprisoned the Dark Lord's soul that there was a way to bring him back. But there was only the one way; the rituals had to take place on one of the days surrounding the anniversary of his death. And they had to have the stone. Which meant that Ron had done something unthinkable, or had some knowledge of it.

Looking up at his friend with more awareness, Harry said, "I need to get home, now." Jayce only nodded, recognising the stubborn streak of his black-haired friend. At least he didn't complain when Jayce insisted on driving.

* * *

"What the bloody hell were you thinking Ron?" Harry yelled to the red head as he stormed into the room, Jayce gone to keep Allie busy for the moment. "Tell me that what I am suspecting is not true, that I am just imagining all of this. I knew when you showed up that something had happened, but I never thought you would have gone this far, done something this terrible. And to have this happening barely two years after we hid the stone, Merlin – what did you tell them? No don't tell me now. I don't think I want to hear yet. Just answer me this: are you absolutely insane? Or do you just have a death wish for everyone?" Ron cowered down in the armchair by the fire, his face turning pale under Harry's temper. "I cannot believe anyone would just go and destroy all that had been done for no reason – I can't actually believe anyone would do it at all, for that matter. Maybe you were tricked into it, threatened with curses, death – anything! I could possibly understand it then – possibly. Bloody hell, you are going to tell me every single thing that led to this, this _incident_." His swift anger replaced with exhaustion and a need for explanations, Harry sank into a second armchair, absently rubbing his aching scar.

He took a deep breath before starting again. "Please tell me you didn't do what I think you did." His voice held more than a little desperation as he looked directly at his red-haired friend.

"It depends on what you think I did." Ron spoke quietly, trying to avoid the explanations he would have to give.

"From the immense pain I felt in my scar just before I would have said you gave the soul stone over to Voldemort's remaining supporters, but even you couldn't be that foolish." He said, fixing him with a glare to rival Snape's.

"There were circumstances…"

"Ha! That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard!" Harry said, cutting Ron off mid-sentence. "What were these circumstances that led you to be an assistant in the second rebirth of the darkest wizard ever? They must have been pretty damn good for you to do that!"

"It's hard to explain – I tried to last night, but…" Ron trailed off, he couldn't think of a way to explain what he had done, he didn't even want to think about it if he could help it.

"Fuck. I can't believe it. I destroyed that foul son-of-a-bitch, imprisoning his soul in a stone after losing everything to him. I was finally free after almost eight long, fucking years of fighting him. And what do you go and do? You hand it over, all that we achieved, for the sake of _circumstances_!" Harry was getting angry again as he listened to Ron's fumbling attempts at explanations. "And now I'm going to have to go kill that bastard again. For what? The third time? That's if I'm lucky and he doesn't kill me first!"

"I-I'm sorry." Ron apologised, his ears turning pink from embarrassment and shame. "But it's not like you have to do it, wouldn't the prophecy have been fulfilled already? You could leave it to the others this time."

"Are you insane?! Wait, don't answer that, I already know the answer." He put his head in his hands, a headache forming – again. "Of course I have to go do this – I have no fucking choice! I guess it serves me right for not doing the job properly the first time. I probably didn't fulfil that damned prophecy properly anyway, since he didn't really die, I just destroyed his body and captured his soul. I'm so sorry, I guess that was not quite close enough, better luck next time.

"Even if it wasn't my destiny to kill him – or be killed _by_ him – I would be involved again. Do you really think he's going to leave me alone? He's going to want revenge on me for stuffing him in that stone in the first place!" The whole situation was getting to be too much for Harry now. Thinking about it, he didn't think he could stay quiet long enough to let Ron explain what happened. He told him so before making plans to go to Hogwarts. "I'm assuming you haven't told Dumbledore yet? Didn't think so, otherwise I would have heard from him. Okay, here's what you are going to do. If you want to start putting things right again after your right royal screw-up, you are going to write down **everything** that happened. Any observations you made about people, places, the times you met or spoke, and what these _circumstances_ you keep bringing up were.

"Once you have finished writing that, you will owl it to me. I think it will be best if I didn't see you face-to-face before I've finished reading it." Ron looked about to object at this, but Harry cut him off. "No, Ron. I am thoroughly pissed off right now. I don't want to be taking my anger out on you. Despite all my comments, I believe that the reason you did this is not insignificant. So let me understand it first, before I try to deal with you again. I still intend to fulfil that promise I made about looking out for you, and right now, the best way for me to do that is to give both of us some space." Picking up his pack from where he had dropped it upon storming into the house, Harry turned to leave. As he reached the doorway he stopped and spoke in a flat voice, "you can stay here for the mean time if you wish. I'll go to stay with a friend till you're gone. And don't worry about Allie; I'll explain everything to her tonight." Storming out the door, he left, not even bothering to pick up any gear – he could come back for anything he needed later.

* * *

"Fuck." He kicked a lamppost. "Fuck." He clenched his fists. "Fuck." He punched a wall. "Ow. Fuck." He repeated as he shook his hand to relieve some of the pain. Harry was trying to expend some of his anger before he did anything, he knew from past mistakes that it didn't pay to rush into anything while he was angry. Unfortunately it was going to take a little more than punching a wall to get his anger under control and with his scar still sore, it would be even more difficult. He didn't want to disturb his friends while he was in this mood, and he certainly couldn't talk to Allie about anything yet. So he went somewhere that would calm him down. 


	8. Chapter eight

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_Right, here's the full chapter. It took me quite a while to write in the end - and the chapters are getting longer, and I hope I managed to get the characters right and not too ooc. If they are, let me know how, and I'll try and work on it for future chapters :)_

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed – particularly _Lord of the Ubergutens _who left a nice long review! (Interesting name too!)

* * *

_

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter eight**

_October 29th, 2000_

Wind buffeting him, Harry stood on a rocky peak overlooking Hogwarts. The lake below was being affected by the same wind; the surface was choppy, the waves lapping the castle end of the lake strongly.

_I wonder what everyone will be like now?_ Harry mused as he looked out; _it's been so long since I've seen them all. I hope Dumbledore explained everything properly so they won't be annoyed. He said they would understand, but you can never know for sure how someone feels. Like Ron, I never expected him to act the way he has in the past._

Harry began to become more reluctant to face his old life. He was always going to go back, just not straight away. Yet, here he was, being thrust back into the middle of everything he had lived back at school, complete with the living, breathing villain who wanted him dead. The raven-haired young man sighed into the wind, the sound lost amidst the noisy gale. If everything had happened like it was supposed to, he wouldn't have come back until Dumbledore and the others had found a way to safely destroy the soul-stone – and Voldemort along with it. The headmaster had always made sure Harry understood that Voldemort wouldn't really be dead until they found a way to accomplish this – and that it would probably take several years to find the solution.

_I guess the research team will be able to get back to their regular jobs now, thanks to Ron,_ Harry thought as he lapsed back into the anger which had slowly been calming into a grudging acceptance.

Picking a rock up off the ground, Harry threw it as hard as he could out towards Hogwarts' lake. As he watched it arc through the air another shape caught his gaze. The flap of wings made his breath quicken as he thought of his own owl, Hedwig, who had been staying at Hogwarts while he had been away. Could it be that his faithful owl had realised he was here?

The owl came closer and Harry could tell it was her by the pale colour and the way she flew, which was never the same after Draco Malfoy had broken one of her wings in too many places for it to be fixed completely. His anger forgotten, Harry held his arm out to allow Hedwig to land.

"Hello girl, I've missed you." He said with a wide grin on his face. The snowy owl hooted in response and nipped at his fingers. "I guess this means you told Fawkes, and as a result Dumbledore, that I was here?" She let out a short hoot and bobbed her head once in affirmation, and Harry stroked her head. "Well, then, I suppose I better get going then?"

* * *

With a quiet pop Harry appeared at the gate to Hogwarts, Hedwig still on his arm. "You ready girl?" She gave a supportive hoot and flapped her wings once. Harry, taking a deep breath, prepared himself and began the walk up to the large castle doors.

Placing his hand on the old wooden doors, Harry felt a rush of magic welcome him back and the doors swung open, granting him entry. **Thanks**, Harry said to Hogwarts, receiving another touch of magic in response. The castle was glad to see him back.

As he walked through the large doors, Hedwig nipped his ear once more gently – a reminder to see her again before he left – and flew off, back to the owlery. Looking around the entrance hall, Harry surrendered himself for a moment to the memories that came rushing back. His reminiscence was soon interrupted, however, as he locked eyes with his old head of house, Minerva McGonagall.

The transfiguration professor looked much different to what he remembered from his first years at school. She had aged suddenly – as many had – over the years, stress adding extra weight to her shoulders and a greater weariness to her eyes, though she seemed to have regained a little of her youth in the past years of relative peace. Harry had always thought of her as a slightly stern grandmother, she had looked out for him in his years in Gryffindor, making sure he didn't get into too much trouble, and allowing him a little leeway when he did. Now she was looking at him with eyes brightened in greeting, and Harry hated to think how she would cope with the news he brought.

"Hello Harry, Albus said you would be down here. He's waiting in his office for you." She smiled softly at him before turning and walking in the direction of the gargoyle statue. Harry fell into step beside her, eyes searching the walls, ceilings, floors, and everything else, to make sure nothing had really changed. It was still the same worn stones lining the floors, and curious paintings peering around frames to get a better look at the two passers-by.

Reaching the gargoyle statue that guarded Dumbledore's office, Harry reached out to Hogwarts with his magic and the castle allowed him to proceed without the password. It had been the best part about finding out he was Gryffindor's heir, knowing and acknowledging the bond had granted him special access about the school, and the affections of the old castle.

"I still find it strange when you do that Harry," Minerva said kindly.

"I did at first, but Hogwarts welcomed me so warmly that she was insulted if I didn't ask her." Said Harry, smiling as he thought of Hogwarts' slightly eccentric personality – it was much like a familiar headmaster's.

Reaching the wooden door, Minerva knocked once before opening it and stepping aside to allow Harry to enter first. There, sitting at his large desk covered in strange instruments, was the old wizard Harry cared for, and had come to burden once again with the troubles of the wizarding world.

Albus Dumbledore smiled at Harry, blue eyes twinkling in their familiar manner, and stood, walking around the desk as the younger man waited just inside the door. Reaching Harry, Dumbledore embraced the boy-who-lived, whispering into his ear, "it's been too long, my son."

Embracing him back Harry closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about all that he had come to love at the school, all that he had lost, and all that he might come to lose still. "It has." He said back, just as softly. With his back to the door, Harry couldn't see her, but Minerva McGonagall was smiling and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief decorated with the Gryffindor crest.

"Now," Dumbledore said, pulling away from Harry and gesturing for him to take a seat, "I assume there is a reason for your unannounced visit?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry looked Albus in the eye, "yes, unfortunately there is." Glancing at McGonagall, he continued. "Perhaps it would be better if a few more people were here before I explained everything?"

Harry, used to deciphering Albus' moods through the small hints he gave, saw that he was curious, and a little worried, but as usual his eyes just twinkled and he smiled, "very well then, who should I call up here?"

Thinking for a moment, Harry said, "Besides Professor McGonagall, I think you should get Snape, Flitwick and Shacklebolt – if he's still here that is. Is anyone else you keep in close confidence who would be available?"

Nodding, the headmaster said "I think there is one other, he is in the castle, assisting with the research – Remus Lupin. I will send for them now." In saying so, a familiar house-elf appeared quietly next to him. "Winky, would you please find Professors Snape, Flitwick and Shacklebolt and Mister Lupin, and ask them to come to my office for a meeting?" Nodding enthusiastically, Winky quickly looked around the room, her large eyes widening at the sight of Harry. "Thank you, Winky. Could you please arrange for some tea and biscuits to be brought up as well? That is all for now." He dismissed her before she could talk to Harry.

While not as enthusiastic as Dobby, Winky had become a fan of Harry's as well. She had often greeted him with a shy hug when he had visited the kitchens. Undoubtedly she would tell Dobby of his arrival when she reached the kitchens. _I wonder which eccentric, sock-loving house-elf will be bringing the tea?_ Harry thought with a fond smile.

"While we wait for the others to arrive, would you care for a lemon drop?" The quirky older man asked. Minerva accepted, but Harry declined. He was feeling more nervous now that he was going to have to face the situation. He didn't really want to explain it to his former teachers and friends, it would take away so much of the hope and peace they had achieved since the final battle.

"Perhaps, Harry, you could tell me what this is about before the others get here, so I know what we are dealing with?" Albus asked. _He just doesn't like being caught by surprise with anything,_ Harry thought wryly.

"All I will say is that I got a visit from Ron yesterday," _Though it feels like much longer._ "He brought me some news which isn't exactly good." _That's an understatement._ "Since he hadn't told you, or anyone else, and I don't think he will, I thought it best to share it with you."

"Very well then, I shall wait for the rest to hear any more." Dumbledore was about to speak again when, with a slight pop, a small blur appeared and attached itself to Harry's leg.

"Mister Harry has come back! Dobby has missed Mister Harry!" The enthusiastic elf was speaking so rapidly that it was all Harry could do to quietly pat his back in greeting.

Eventually Dobby eased off, and Harry managed to get a word in. "It's nice to see you too, Dobby. I missed you as well." This, however, was not the most prudent thing to say as it set the house-elf into another stream of praises and exclamations that was only interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Without waiting for an answer from the smiling headmaster, Severus Snape walked in – or rather, stalked as he always did. Harry always got a little bit of pleasure from surprising his former potions master, it didn't happen very often (_although less often than Albus_, Harry thought, _but I'll surprise both again soon_.).

"Harry," Severus began, both eyebrows raised for a moment before he got over his surprise, "this is unexpected. To what do we owe the pleasure of your gracious company?"

"You're still the same, that's good to see Sev." Harry said fondly, smiling at the man, who smiled back. "As to why I'm here, you will have to wait for the others to get here."

As he spoke, the door opened once again, this time it was the former auror – Kingsley Shacklebolt. Once Sirius had been found innocent and awarded the Order of Merlin – posthumously – Shacklebolt had left the ministry to teach at Hogwarts, and apparently had managed to stay here since then, an impressive feat considering the schools track record with DADA teachers.

Shacklebolt's surprise at seeing Harry sitting calmly (or as calmly as one could with a house-elf on their leg) in front of Albus' desk was much larger than Severus'. "Harry!" The large man strode forward to Harry and reached for his hands, shaking them in a warm welcome. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Why would you assume I had gotten myself into trouble Kingsley?" Harry asked, his hands still trapped within the other man's larger pair.

"If I recall correctly, you once told me that a whopping two-thirds of your visits to this office were as a result of some sort of trouble on your part." Severus snorted from his position against the wall, Harry shot him a glare.

"As much as I would like to deny that statement, I have a feeling it might not be too far off the truth." Harry sighed wearily. "It is unfortunately too true on this occasion."

This statement caused every person in the room to grow much more serious, and looking around, Harry saw that they all wore pensive frowns. "I'm sorry that I have to bring you this news, but I had no choice. We're just waiting for Remus and Filius to arrive, then I can tell you why I am here."

Dumbledore had already conjured up a couple of extra seats and was about to magic up some more, but Harry got in first. "I see you haven't lost your touch on your magic, Harry." The elderly headmaster said, examining the fine detail on the seats, before turning to the still excited Dobby, who had by now let go of Harry's leg, and settled for simply standing as close to him as he could. "Now, Dobby, shall we see about finding that tea you were bringing." Dobby's attention snapped to Albus, and the small elf's face formed into a most comical expression of embarrassment before he popped away. Harry was wondering where exactly the elf had managed to lose the tea, _obviously not too far away,_ he thought as Dobby popped back in again, this time holding a large silver tray bearing a silver and porcelain tea set and biscuits.

Those that were waiting were making small talk and drinking a cup of tea when the last two people arrived. Filius Flitwick and Remus Lupin came through the still open door together; seemingly talking about something rather interesting by the way their attention was focused.

"Hello Professor Flitwick." The short charms professor turned and squeaked in an uncanny imitation of himself in Harry's first charms class ever, Harry smiled softly as he picked himself up off the ground. Turning to the other person, Harry's smile grew.

Here was the last Marauder, his father's last surviving friend. Remus and Harry had become incredibly close after his fifth year. The werewolf had moved into a spare suite of rooms at Hogwarts and had been one of Harry's private tutors in defence. Their relationship hadn't been the same as the one Harry had had with Sirius, but it had grown to be something Harry cherished just as much, if not more simply because it had lasted for longer. Now, seeing his friend again, Harry was pleased to see the pale-haired man looking in good health. Nobody had looked their best during the war, but Remus had suffered the loss of one of his pack – for the second time – and occasionally had had to suffer the full moon without the wolfsbane potion. Now, though, Harry thought Remus looked better than he had ever seen him – except for when he looked at photos from before that fateful Halloween night – and once again Harry wished that he didn't have to give them the awful news.

"Harry?" Nodding at Remus, the twenty-year-old was unprepared for the emotions that showed in the werewolf's face. Rushing forward to envelop him in a hug, Remus had mixed emotions about Harry's early return. He was, of course, happy to see the young man. The years in which he hadn't seen him had been filled with research into the final destruction of Voldemort's soul. With such reminders every day as to what his dead best friend's son had gone through before he left, Remus often thought about him.

But despite his pleasure at Harry's return, Remus knew there must be some reason other than a social call. That was one thing the werewolf wasn't happy with Harry over, the no contact deal he had made Dumbledore enforce. Harry had sent Remus a grand total of two letters in the two years he had been away, and he knew that Molly Weasley had received the same number. Remus was definitely going to have a long chat to Harry about not running away from family. _I suspect that talk won't be happening for a while,_ Remus thought as he realised that the business that brought Harry back in such a mood had to be serious.

Pulling apart, Harry held his friend at arms length, examining his face as if searching for an answer. "I'm sorry, Remus. I just couldn't take the chance that speaking with you was going to make me want to stay."

_He really gets right to the heart of what's bothering people,_ Remus thought as he nodded his understanding. Aloud, he said with a small smile, "I know Harry. It doesn't mean that I can't lecture you on the virtues of proper communication."

"Sure, Remus, how about we make a time so you can do that later?" The two shared a smile and were about to continue their conversation when a polite cough from the headmaster reminded them of the supposed meeting.

"If you would be good enough to tell us why we are here, Harry?"


	9. Chapter nine

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_I've realised I make my stories move **really** slowly. What do you guys think? Is it too slow? I'm trying to get to it all, but so far I've spent four chapters on just one day, and it's not done yet! Granted it is, for Harry, one of the longest days he's ever had, but to me it's frustrating thinking about it!_

_Anyway, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter – though I like the beginning and the ending, the middle just seems a bit… bleh. What do you think?_

_By the way, I've posted the first chapter to another fic idea I had (time travel – not very original, but I like them and wanted to try my own version), I'd like to get peoples opinion on whether or not I should keep going on it. It's called Harry Potter and the Ethereal Time, and can be found in my bio._

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!: **

Surarrin – sorry! Here's the next part to that scene anway.

cariluv – okay, here you go!

Britni Puccio – thanks :) as to Snape, there is a reason he is no longer evil to Harry, it's explained in this chapter, and will (hopefully) be shown in flashbacks in future chappies.

Larna Mandrea – thank you! I felt really special receiving two reviews in a row! What was the other story you read that had Harry in a band? I've read a couple and thought it sounded like a kind of cool thing for him to do.

Sorry if I missed anyone! I love getting reviews, they make me happy :D

* * *

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter nine**

_October, 29th 2000_

"If you would be good enough to tell us why we are here, Harry?"

Looking around at all those in the room, Harry saw expectant faces. He could see that they knew it was bad news they were going to receive, but they wanted to know it nonetheless. He admired their strength. They had all lived through not one, but two wars against Voldemort, and both Dumbledore and McGonagall had lived through the time of Grindelwald as well. Now he was about to tell them they would have to go through it all again, unless they could act quickly – _very, very quickly_ Harry decided as he thought through the way events must have happened.

"As you know when I left almost three years ago, I hadn't planned on coming back until I had completed my muggle education. As of this year, I am only a third of the way through it, yet I have come back." Repressing a sigh, Harry looked around the room, his eyes landing on Fawkes. The phoenix seemed to sense Harry's trouble in saying what needed to be said, for he gave a short comforting trill which strengthened Harry enough to go on. "I came back because of the third rise of Lord Voldemort."

The reactions were immediate. Flitwick gave a squeal and fell sideways out of his seat, Shacklebolt gasped and turned pale, though not as pale as Severus who was now clutching his arm where the dark mark used to be. Remus had simply closed his eyes, as though he was trying to wake himself up from some nightmare, all the while clutching his cup of tea with whitening knuckles. McGonagall had dropped her cup and was oblivious to the hot liquid seeping its way through her robes. Albus, Harry decided, had doubled in age in an instant. There was no trace of the twinkle in his blue eyes; he was holding his hands to his face in such a display of emotions that Harry hadn't seen from him before.

"I'm sorry I had to bring such bad news. Unfortunately I can't tell you much more about it, as I don't know the full details myself," He said after he had given them enough time to get over their shock, now he needed to get them down to business. Assuming the air of the commander he had been last time around, Harry stood and looked each of them in the eyes, "I know this doesn't seem entirely possible, we never really planned for this situation, even though we always knew it _could_ happen.

"The stone was hidden, and somehow some of the remaining Death Eaters must have gotten hold of it and the necessary spells to reverse the process. As far as we know they have only just started the process, since it has to take place over the same time of year as when he was imprisoned. That gives us a starting date of at the earliest, early yesterday morning. The ritual itself takes four days, and if it is interrupted at any stage it will not produce the full results. I felt the first twinge in my scar late this morning, which leads me to believe the rituals were only started today. This gives us until the end of the first to find and interrupt them." He paused to let them catch up. It was so easy to slip back into the person he had been in the height of the short war, and he could see the others doing the same, they were straightening in their seats, concentrating on every word he said, thinking through facts and possibilities. "Any questions so far?"

"I have one, Harry," Snape said, speaking into the silence. "How come I haven't felt anything? From the remains of my mark?" He gestured with his left arm where a faint outline of the mark could still be seen. Harry had managed to block most of Voldemort's magic off when the potions master had been discovered as a spy, though it wasn't a complete block meaning Snape had still managed to receive a slight sensation when Voldemort used the marks, and should have sensed something this morning.

Frowning, Harry thought it through. Theoretically it should work in much the same way as Harry's scar, connecting the wizards' to their master through magic. _But what if the stone only bound his soul? My connection is based on a part of his soul being forced onto me along with his magic, but the dark mark…_Harry trailed off his thoughts. He had never really thought about there being a difference between a wizard's soul and their magic, they were so closely entwined that nobody ever differentiated them. Harry began to uncertainly explain what he was thinking. "I think that maybe the stone only captured Voldemort's soul, and his magic died along with his body. My scar must connect us through our souls, while the dark mark is only a connection to his magic. I'm not entirely sure about that, but it would explain a lot, I could never manipulate his magic through the connection, nor he mine, which would most certainly be the case if it was based on our magic." His mind racing ahead, Harry suddenly gasped in shock, "if the stone bound only his soul, and his magic died with his body, then, if they do manage to bring him back …"

"… He would be no better than a muggle!" Dumbledore finished off Harry's thought, the others only a moment behind, "even if we do not manage to stop the rituals there may be hope to stop this before it really begins." There was some of the twinkle back in the headmaster's eyes, and Harry saw that it strengthened not only him, but all the occupants of the room. "Now, Harry, if you would tell us what your plan of action is so far? I know you've already got one."

Harry had to smile, it had been something he always did – make plans as he learnt of a situation. After Sirius' death because of his inability to plan and think ahead he had learnt to make plans as he went, adjusting them to account for new information.

"Yeah, I've got a plan."

* * *

An hour later, the professors were smiling in grim satisfaction. They might not like what was happening, but at least they felt a little more comfortable knowing there was a plan in place. They now sat around, talking over small details, or, in Harry's case, talking about what he had been up to in the past years. As Harry was in the middle of telling Remus about his small part in the band, a ringing sound came from his pocket. Starting briefly at the foreign noise, Harry apologised to Remus and answered his cell phone.

"Hello? Oh, hey, can you wait just a moment? Thanks." Looking around the room, Harry apologised to the teachers, some of whom were looking a little confused at the use of a muggle device within Hogwarts. As he left, Harry heard Minerva and Remus explaining to them about how he had enchanted it before his seventh year so he could keep in touch with his aunt and uncle. He had gotten a lot of useful advice from Sirius' old notes that had been made when he was enchanting his motorbike to fly.

Once he was out of the room and standing on the spiral staircase, Harry once again spoke into his phone.

"Sorry about that Allie, I was just in the middle of something. What were you saying?"

Allie's voice came through the speaker slightly muffled due to the magic, but there nonetheless. "Connie's here. She said you guys were supposed to be doing something tonight. I thought I'd see if you were or not."

Harry was about to just answer no and leave it all at that when he remembered Ron was still there. It wouldn't be a good idea for Ron to see Connie before he understood the situation, it might bring up too many memories of Hermione. He might (or rather, would) overreact, leaving Connie in an uncomfortable situation.

"Allie, have Ron and Connie met? Good, keep them apart." Harry's rushed tone obviously confused the blonde at the other end as she stammered a question. "Ron was Mione's boyfriend, and Connie looks startlingly similar to her. I really don't think Ron would react well."

"Okay, but it's going to be hard to stop the two from seeing each other, Connie's asking if she can stay here while her place is being painted."

"Bugger," Harry racked his brain for a solution to one of an increasing number of problems. "Is Jayce still there? Can you put him on for a moment then?"

"Sure, just a second." Harry heard a brief conversation between Allie and Jayce before a new voice came down the line.

"Hey Harry, what's up?"

"Hey Jayce, look, I hate to do this, but I need a favour."

"Sure, whatever you need." Jayce obviously knew Harry was stressed at the moment, because he didn't make any sort of teasing comments.

"Have you met my old friend, Ron, yet?"

"The one who you were worked up about this morning? The red-head who is currently asleep in your room? Yeah, why?"

"Could you take him back to your place and let him stay until Connie moves back to her place?"

"I suppose. Why don't you want the two meeting?"

"Let's just say it wouldn't be an easy meeting." Harry sighed, he really did not want to deal with a distressed and confused Ron on top of everything else. "So that's all right then? Thanks Jayce. Oh, and can you remind him he needs to write my letter as soon as possible? He'll know what I mean. Thanks, I'll probably drop by tomorrow anyway, but in case I don't see you then, Happy Birthday."

"Heh thanks. I didn't think you remembered. I was trying to keep it quiet, and nobody else has said anything." Jayce sounded pleased that someone had remembered, but a little embarrassed as well. Harry understood. Jayce had never done much to celebrate his birthdays when he was younger, and still felt a little uncomfortable when people made a big deal about it. "I gotta go now; Allie's trying to rip the phone off of me. See you later."

Harry managed a quick goodbye before Allie came back on. "Harry, are you still going to explain everything to me tonight?"

Groaning, Harry said, "I don't think I'm going to be able to get back tonight. The shit has really hit the fan, and I need to stay where I am and make sure everything proceeds as it should to keep the situation under a modicum of control. I'm sorry Allie." He really was – he hadn't meant to leave her hanging like this for so long. "Look, I'll see if I can sort something out. Can you let me talk to Connie for a bit?"

"Sure, but you are going to tell me soon. I'm getting sick of all these delays."

"I know Allie, I really hadn't meant for this to happen." _But then, I hadn't meant to tell her at all,_ Harry thought. He heard her put the phone down and call for Connie.

A moment later, Connie spoke down the phone a little unsurely. "Hello?"

"Hi Connie, it's Harry. Look, sorry about tonight, I kind of forgot amidst everything else that has been happening today."

"It's alright, Allie told me about your friend coming." She sounded like she understood. "Is he a friend from Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, it's Ron. Ron Weasley, Hermione's boyfriend. I don't think you should see him; it wouldn't be good, particularly not now. He's going to stay with Jayce for a while, so you won't have to worry about it."

There was silence on the other end as Connie was processing the new development. "Oh, okay. That means the situation you're dealing with is to do with the wizarding world." She paused, thinking. "Where are you now?"

"I'm at Hogwarts, I was speaking with the headmaster and a few of the other professors."

"I thought you must have been somewhere around there, but I didn't think you _could_ be at the school if you were talking on the phone. Something about magical interference on technology?"

Harry allowed himself a small chuckle, "you really are Hermione's cousin. I fiddled with the phone so it would work here. Anyway, I actually wanted to ask if you could do something for me."

"If I can, I will." She said sincerely.

"Can you try and explain about my life to Allie? Or at least the basic idea of the wizarding world?"

"You don't ask for small favours, do you Harry?"

"Don't worry about it then." He said, interpreting what she said as a refusal.

"No, it's okay. But I don't think she'll believe me without proof, and it's not like ­_I_ can show her magic."

"You're right, she won't accept it very easily." Harry thought about what he could do. He couldn't tell Connie to get anything magical out of his trunk as it was magically locked. "I'll try to get back tonight, but if I can't, I'll send you an owl with a letter and some sort of proof. But don't start explaining unless you get it."

"Okay, I can do that. Just a warning though Harry, if you don't get back and I end up explaining it all to her she might be a little bit pissed off at you for not having told her yourself earlier."

Snorting gracefully at the understatement, Harry replied, "don't I know it? No worries, if it comes to that, I'll talk with her and she'll understand. She might not be happy, but she'll know why things had to be like this."

"Better you than me," Allie said in a light, playful tone.

"Well, anyway, I better get back to my more serious problems."

"More serious than all this?"

"_Much_ more," Harry said with a sigh. "Say goodbye to the others for me. And stay out of the way of Ron until he leaves."

"Will do, Harry. See you later."

"Bye Connie."

Hanging up his phone, Harry removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Things just had to get _more_ complicated, didn't they? "Someone up there must really hate me." Harry said softly to himself as he looked towards the ceiling.

"Either that or they want to give you a challenge once in a while," sounded a silky voice from the top of the stairs, "just for a change." Harry looked up and saw Snape standing against the wall of the stairs.

"I don't know if I can do this again, Sev." Harry confessed in a helpless voice to the former spy as he sank to sit on the stairs. "I gave it everything I had the first time round and lost so much. I'm not sure how much I'm willing to gamble this time."

"I'm afraid you don't have much choice, Harry. If you decide to sit back and wait to see what happens, you'll lose so much more. At least with your plan we have a chance at getting the jump on Voldemort." Seeing the younger man still looking helpless, Snape mentally sighed. They needed Harry to be strong again. He was the one who held everyone together last time, the one who gave everyone hope, not Dumbledore, not even the boy-who-lived, but Harry.

Severus had gained respect for the boy after he saw the way he handled himself as Voldemort's captive at the end of his sixth year. He had been strong, even after two long months of torture and the Dark Lord's failed attempts at transferring his power to himself. It was after that that he had made a deal to stop calling him 'Potter', except when he later became friendly enough to use it in jest. That respect rose even more when the boy had protected him from Voldemort's rage through his mark. Harry had used a lot of magic blocking it off, saving Snape's life. He hadn't yet paid back the life-debt, but it didn't hang over him like the one to the boy's father had.

Snape adopted his former, cold manner once again. "You know, Potter, I never thought you would be the sort to give up," Harry's head snapped up from where it had settled in his hands to look the tall potions master in the eyes, "your father certainly was arrogant enough to persist through difficulties. And Merlin knows your mother was _the_ most stubborn witch I knew." He paused and offered a hand down to Harry. Severus' voice softening as he said, "they would have been proud of the way you've handled yourself, managing to overcome everything and succeed, _despite_ feeling things are hopeless. You've done it before Harry, you can do it again." Seeing the faith and respect in the man's eyes, Harry took Severus' hand and pulled himself up off the stairs.

"Thanks, Sev," Harry said with a smile, "though I will have to pay you back for calling me 'Potter' again."


	10. Chapter ten

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_Another update! This chapter seemed to write itself almost, and I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out – and at over 3,000 words too. The next chapter may take a little while to write, as I've been dreading it for ages! So I've decided to get this one out and done, and maybe inspire myself to do the next one._

**Y'know all authors love getting reviews, I'm definitely no exception! So thank you for making me smile each time I read them :D**

gallandro-83 – I'm glad you find it interesting, you should find out in a few chapters (I'm not going to be specific, because then I'll just end up proving myself wrong!)

Surarrin – I actually snorted when I pictured that! I hadn't actually had anything planned, but that is so funny! I might have to use it at some stage. Lol… I'm still laughing at that image!! Do you think he would be ditzy?

Zaxxon – thanks :)

Larna Mandrea – Okay, I have a big grin on my face after reading your review again! At this stage I'm planning on focusing mainly on this story, and probably writing one chapter of Ethereal Time to every two or three of this one. I thought Six Feet Cold might have been the one you'd read, it's the one I've seen around the most. I know I've read a few, but at the moment the only one I can think of is _Finding Himself_ by S. S. IDGET although that doesn't have too much band stuff in it. If I can think of any more I'll let you know, but for now that's all my annoying brain will let me remember!

cariluv – give up? Voldemort? Hmm, I suppose he _could_ give up, but then he wouldn't be much of a power hungry villain, would he? I guess it really isn't his third rise quite yet, as he's still only a soul in a stone, but he's trying really hard!

And to the person who cursed me after chapter 8 – I'm hoping the curses will be lifted now, please? They really are starting to tickle! And there was no cliffhanger on the last chapter and none on this one either!

_Once again, thank you! And don't forget to press that little button at the bottom!

* * *

_

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter ten**

_October 29th, 2000_

It wasn't long after Harry rejoined the group in Dumbledore's office that they all moved down to the Great Hall, where the Sunday evening dinner was about to start. Since it was the last weekend before Halloween, and the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, most of the students were filled with excitement, speaking loudly about what they had bought and where they had been. The students wearing Gryffindor colours were by far the loudest, just like when Harry was wearing them, _although we didn't have much cause for celebration most of the time._

It was hard for Harry to see all the students looking so carefree and happy when he had was just getting that taken away from him – again. Harry had never had a real childhood, before Hogwarts he was ignored or made to work at home and bullied by his cousin at school, and once he started Hogwarts, well nobody could call what he went through 'normal'. Facing Tom Riddle in some form or another four times in his first five years, twice in his sixth – one for an extended amount of time, and another three times in his seventh. In truth, Harry hadn't thought of himself as a child since before the end of his fourth year, he'd had to grow up too quickly then.

Following the headmaster and the professors, Harry walked silently next to Remus who respected his need to readjust himself. Slowly as they walked, students noticed who the new person was with their familiar professors. Whispers began to race ahead of them as they all told their friends that _Harry Potter_ was at the school. As the general public didn't know much about his 'disappearance', rumours had run rampant for a year before dying down to only the occasional one when there was no other story. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Harry ignored the looks he was getting and continued to follow along to the hall, taking a seat between Snape and Remus near the end of the table.

Seeing most eyes in the hall focused on the youngest person at the head table, Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat briefly, effectively gaining the attention of everyone in the hall. "As you have all most likely noticed, we have someone with us who hasn't been seen for a while. Mr Potter has been spending time in the muggle world for a period of relaxation, but he will now be spending time at Hogwarts. I ask that you do not bother him too much if you see him around, as he does have things to do with his time. Thank you for your time." The headmaster sat down and there was a slight pause before the Great Hall erupted in applause, with a few wolf-whistles as well. It was times like these Harry was glad he didn't blush, otherwise he would be a bright Weasley red.

Once the applause had died down, and the meal was underway, Harry found himself relaxing slightly. There was nothing he could do to stop the knot of tension in his stomach, but he at least managed to eat and have a good conversation with both Severus and Remus about what they had been doing over the past few years. It turned out that they were both involved in researching the stone, Harry already knew Remus was – he was organising it since he had no other teaching duties besides the occasional tutoring session that was arranged – but he had thought that Severus would be too busy with teaching to spend much time on it. Remus told him that Snape was actually one of the best researchers on the team, which the potions professor dismissed with a casual wave of his hand. Harry, though, could see a slight smile at the compliment from the werewolf. _Its funny how much people can change,_ Harry mused to himself; _I bet Sev never imagined he would be friends with a Marauder, or a Marauder's son.

* * *

_

Dinner seemed to pass quickly, and Harry soon found himself back in the Headmaster's office, sitting on the edge of his desk ready to give everyone their jobs. The same group that was there before were sitting in the same seats, looking at Harry.

After a quick moment of insecurity (_I'm too young to be doing this!_) Harry turned first to Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Kingsley, I need you to be in charge of defence. You'll need to use contacts amongst the aurors to put them on alert without letting everyone know, it would be good if we could deal with this quietly, it really would save a lot of panic. Find good aurors you know that can be discreet, and when we know where the rituals are going to take place we'll head in with a team. Also make sure that if we fail to stop them, the division can be put on alert for Hogwarts and other major areas. We know where the main attack points are, Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The ministry is also a large target as this time round the government isn't going to sit back and let Voldemort take over.

"I would also like you to select two students from each year level fifth year and up in each house who are good, level-headed students. They need to be good in your class, but not necessarily the best. We need to make sure that if nothing goes as planned and Voldemort ends up attacking Hogwarts, we have students who can help moving people out of the castle, or at least out of the way. Don't tell them the real reasons why, but teach them the basics of strategy and some more advanced defence magic. If it looks like things are heading that way we can tell them more, but otherwise they'll just be having extra lessons." Harry thought for a moment, checking against his mental list to see if there was anything more he wanted the DADA professor to organise, "I think that's all for you to arrange Kingsley, let me know if you have any problems talking with the students, I might help out there. Let me know once you have your team of aurors too, I'll talk to them as well." Kingsley nodded, his instructions were reasonably straightforward and he had nothing to ask at present.

Turning to the next person around the room, Harry spoke to the tiny Professor Flitwick. Harry had never spent as much time with the Charms teacher as most of the other teachers, but he had still had extra lessons and conversed with him at staff and Order meetings and was on first name basis with him as with most of the staff. "Filius, I need you to head up the research team now. Pull whoever you want into it, though I will be getting both Remus and Sev to do other jobs as well, so they won't have much time to spare on it.

"I need you to research ways Voldemort could get his magic back. I'm almost certain he won't have any powers if he is brought back, in which case he will need to do some serious magic to remedy that. I will be attempting to confirm my suspicions over this tonight, I believe Albus still has all of my original notes on the stone and the magic involved?" Harry turned to the Headmaster in query, and when Albus nodded, turned back and continued with his instructions. "I will also be bringing in some information to help us find where the rituals are taking place, hopefully this evening or early tomorrow, depending on how long it takes, and will need either you, or somebody else you appoint, to work through what I give you. I will want to approve of them before hand though, so make sure it is someone trustworthy and not given to gossip."

Everyone was looking confused at Harry's order, so he decided he'd better tell them the reason now. "The information is going to be given to me by Ron. He came to me last night in a near hysterical mood, trying to apologise for _something_. When I felt the pain in my scar this morning I knew he had somehow gotten the stone and handed it over to the Death Eaters." Gasps rang round the room as Harry once again managed to surprise some of the most controlled wizards he knew. "My suspicions were confirmed when I confronted him. Since I was too angry at the time to get the full story, he is writing it down for me. I imagine he will be very busy writing down every last detail, he wanted to make amends for his mistake."

"_Mistake?!_ How could _that_ be a mistake?" Snape's scowl was in full bloom as he spoke, and Harry noticed that both Flitwick and Shacklebolt shrank back a bit under the potion master's anger. If the situation had been different, Harry would've complimented Severus on his ability to make a top ex-auror cringe, but now wasn't the time, so he sat calmly, waiting for the man to die down. "I knew that boy was an idiot, but really, I expected him to have sense enough not to do that!" Snape's anger relented a little in volume, and he snapped out, "how did he manage to find the stone to hand it over in the first place? I didn't think you told him."

Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "That's one of the things we will hopefully be finding out. As far as I'm aware, the only person here, besides me, who knew where the stone was, is Dumbledore."

"But, I knew, you told us just after you had hidden it." Minerva said, gesturing at those present in confusion.

"No, I never told you where it was. I told you five that it was hidden in a cave above Hogsmeade, I told some of the other teachers that it was at the bottom of the lake, some of the other Order members thought it was kept in a vault at Gringotts, and there were other groups told different things. We had to satisfy you all that it was safe, while making sure that if someone did break, the Death Eaters would think they knew." It had been a point of contention between Harry and Albus, the latter still clinging to his old method of not saying anything, while Harry wanted to lay false trails to make it even more difficult to find. Harry had, of course, won the argument. Now, however, it was a moot point, and Harry didn't feel the need to bring it up any further.

"I want whoever reads through his notes to be discreet and not go blabbing about what he did. The same goes for all of you as well. He will get what's coming to him for what he did, but it is not up to you lot to dish out the punishment." Harry spoke with authority, and they all nodded, however reluctantly.

"Right, moving on then if you have no questions Filius? Good. Your turn now, Minerva, I'm going to get you to head up a second research team to work on two things. The first is all the old research that was done on finding a way to stop Voldemort for good. The situation will be different this time as he hopefully won't have time to get back up to strength and replace all those spells he had on himself. So there should be something amongst all that lot which will destroy both his body and his soul – and his magic if he has it. That's the first lot of research; the second lot is a bit different. I want you to look through newspapers, both wizarding and muggle, going back a couple of months. Note down anything unusual, disappearances – people and objects, robberies, anything that could be more than it seems. Also anything that is to do with people with known connections to Voldemort, going back about a month earlier still. You'll most likely have to arrange two teams to manage this, but I want you to organise both of them and make reports of what you find for both Albus and me." The transfiguration professor nodded very stiffly and formally, making Harry realise how controlling he must sound. _Oh well, no time to worry about it now,_ he told himself.

Finished with Minerva, Harry turned his attentions to the next two wizards, Remus and Severus. "Remus and Severus, I want you two to work together to an extent. You are both going to be doing some information collecting for me, and so it would be best if you compare what you each find." The two nodded, they had experience doing the sort of 'information collecting' Harry liked. They called it spying, eavesdropping, bribery and many other things, but their younger, unofficial leader thought 'information collecting' sounded much better – and more innocent. "Sev, you'll need to try and find out what you can from known Death Eater contacts. You'll have to be careful who you talk to, but make sure you aren't caught by any unsavoury characters." His voice shaded with concern, Harry looked directly at the man he had come to respect, making sure he wouldn't just go off and get himself in trouble – not that he would unless he thought it absolutely necessary. Seeing the man nod, he knew he understood his concern. He turned to the werewolf, "Remus, I need you to go to see some of our _allies_. They might have heard something, had some disappearances, anything like that." It was understood by _allies_ Harry meant the werewolves that had fought for their side, as well as the better of the vampires, and a few other select dark creatures who weren't as dark as everyone thought. Remus had been the contact for them, seeing as they trusted him due to his condition. "I might also ask you to speak with a few of the Order members, depending on how everything else goes. But for the moment, concentrate on the others."

Beginning to feel tired, Harry looked to Dumbledore. He had never really given the headmaster orders before, at least not in the same way he gave them to others. The two usually worked together arranging everybody else. "Albus, we'll need to call up some of the Order. I don't want everyone back if we can help it, I don't want to ruin the lives they're rebuilding. I also don't want the Weasley's too involved, though I know they will be to an extent they shouldn't know what Ron did, it would tear their family apart. Do you think you can arrange for a brief meeting with some of the members as well as the rest of the staff, or whoever you think should be made aware? It really needs to happen tonight, and as long as you don't mind me not being there, I think you should try for that. Otherwise, perhaps early tomorrow?" The headmaster agreed, and seeing how tired Harry was becoming, told the others he would speak with them later.

With the office empty but for Dumbledore, Harry and Fawkes, Harry allowed himself to show how he really felt. He collapsed in a comfortable armchair opposite Albus, and closed his eyes.

"I don't want to do this again, Albus." He spoke softly, a heaviness filling his voice that shouldn't be there. "But I know I have to, and I have to do it with strength and confidence."

"That may be true, Harry. But you don't have to do it alone. Not everyone expects you to be a hero all of the time."

"That may be true, and I appreciate what everybody else does, it's just that this should never have happened. I defeated him, destroyed his body and locked away his soul, killed most of his supporters and still he's there. I really hope we can stop him before anything happens, I don't think I could stand to go through it again, and this is only the second war for me! I don't know how you've managed to live through three already and still have the ability to go in for another." Harry spoke with respect for the old man in front of him, who had gone through so much, and was still offering advice.

"We go through what we have to. This is what my life is, and I'm grateful for all that I've had a chance to see and do. If to have that I have to fight for what I love and believe in, then I will do it." Albus came around the front of the desk and sat in a seat next to Harry, placing a hand on his knee in comfort. "I remember feeling exhausted after the war with Grindelwald was over. I felt like all I wanted to do was spend the rest of my days peacefully with my remaining friends, I wanted to never face the harsh realities of life again, even though I knew I should, but I decided I wouldn't. I ran away and didn't tell anyone where I was going. I spent a year away from home, living in the muggle world much as you have been doing." Albus was reminiscing fondly now, "I met an amazing woman, Clarissa. She was beautiful, intelligent and caring. We fell in love and got married, after which I told her of my life. She, incredibly, understood, though she was a little shocked. In turn she told me something she had just found out about herself. She was dying of cancer. I will never forget the way I felt then, learning that she had only a short time to live." Harry was shocked. He had never known any of this, and doubted that anybody else did either.

Continuing on, Albus wiped a stray tear from his eyes, "on the last night she was alive, she told me something that changed my whole viewpoint on things. She said that it was my responsibility to do go back, to offer hope to my world and show them that things could go on. _'Always remember what you have, what you have had, and what you can give to others'_, she said to me. And I do, every day. Whenever I find myself succumbing to exhaustion, wanting to give up, I think about everything I can still do to make things better for others and find the strength to go on." Sitting back up straight, the headmaster reflected for a moment before returning to his place behind his desk.

"Now, I believe you said you wouldn't be able to attend a meeting tonight, is there anything you need before you go?"

Smiling and feeling much better for the pep talk, Harry met the headmaster's eyes. "Unless you know an easy way of telling one of your best friends that you're a famous wizard who has fought a Dark Lord and survived to do it all over again?"

Chuckling, Dumbledore said, "Ah, yes. If I remember correctly that can be a rather awkward conversation. All I can do is wish you the best of luck, Harry. I'm sure she will be fine with it in the end, no matter how much of a temper she has." Shaking his head, Harry marvelled at how the man seemed to always know more than he was told, he was very perceptive.

"Well then, I guess I better get an early start – it might take a while." Harry stood and headed for the door, "I'll come back and see how the meeting is going when I get back, shall I?" Harry knew without being told that the meeting would be held tonight, and that it would be a long one. One hand on the door, Harry turned back and said, "Thank-you Albus. For helping me find my strength." The old man just smiled kindly and let his eyes twinkle.


	11. Chapter eleven

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_I'm sooo sorry this took so long! I had MAJOR writers block on it, and on Ethereal Time too. This isn't even all I was going to do for the chapter, but I've been feeling really bad about not updating for ages, so I'm ending it at the point I've written to, which is why it is short. The next update shouldn't be too far away, I feel like I've gotten back on track with it, even if I'm finding this bit difficult to write. Though I still feel it's better than the last chapter, I didn't particularly like that one._

**Thank you everyone who reviews!**

gallandro- well, I **was** productive for a little while! Thanks for the review.

Surarrin That is really the best idea ever for a Snape prank! And yes, Pringles o

amilin It's nice to see new readers :D I'm trying to keep it moving, unfortunately I don't think it's my style to have a fast paced story! Ron will get sorted out, don't worry!

Britni Puccio erm, Hermione's dead… oO I thought I mentioned that, though it might have been only briefly – in chapter five, maybe somewhere else. There'll be more Weasley's around eventually too, but you'll have to wait for Allie's reaction!

Larna Mandrea Lol, tell you what, I'll give you a fish to slap Dumbledore with! Though I only have a goldfish handy… will that do? He does come across quite sappy, but I do have reasons behind it, he's old, he's tired of fighting, and he cares a lot for Harry and doesn't want to see him go through the same things. I'm glad you liked how Harry came across, I always thought he'd be reluctant to take charge, but would be good at it and do it anyway.

jbfritz Lol, you reviewed almost every chapter! Thanks :)

Someguy Thanks. Here you go, sorry it took so long!

**

* * *

Fulfilling Prophecies ****

* * *

**

Chapter eleven

_October 29th, 2000_

Once outside the bounds of Hogwarts, Harry gathered himself together and apparated to an alley just across from his flat. Looking at his watch, he saw it was just after nine, Connie would probably still be waiting for an owl from him, but no doubt she would be relieved that she wouldn't have to try and tell the story.

Reaching the front door, Harry went to search his bag for his house key. Only to realise he didn't have his bag with him.

"Dammit," Harry swore as he remembered leaving it behind in Dumbledore's office. Rolling his eyes at his careless mistake, he knocked on the door.

A moment later he heard someone unlocking the door. "Harry?" Allie asked as she peered through the partially open door. "You forgot your key?" Harry just shrugged at the look on her face. She seemed to be finding it all rather amusing. Letting him in, she neatly herded him into the lounge where he saw Connie was already waiting.

The brown-haired girl got up off the couch as he came in, a worried look on her face as she gave him a querying glance to make sure he was all right. It was a distinctly Hermione thing to do, he decided as he gave a sober nod back.

"So?" Allie began, "are you finally going to talk to me about whatever has you all worked up? Connie said you were hoping to."

"Yeah, that's why I'm back here tonight; I'll have to leave again afterwards, but I made this trip so we could talk. The only reason I might not have been able to was it I couldn't make it back in time, but things went as smoothly as could be hoped, and everyone knows their part." He said distractedly, it had been a very long day, and it wasn't even over yet.

"Huh? What exactly _have_ you been doing tonight? Connie wouldn't tell me anything, she said it wasn't her place to tell, at least, not yet." Connie sat back down quietly, planning on staying and listening to what Harry had to say.

"Good, I'm glad she didn't. She doesn't know much of what's happening now anyway, though she does know what happened before." Harry sighed at his friends confused face. "I suppose I should just get on with it, it might take a while. Although I think I'm going to need a drink before I begin."

"Already taken care of, Harry." Allie said, indicating the drink on the table, a whisky on ice was sitting there, made the same way Harry had gotten used to having his Firewhisky. "Now, sit down and you can tell me all about what has gotten you so nervous these last few days."

"It's not going to make much sense if I just tell you straight off about that, so I suppose the best place to start is the beginning of everything."

"Where else _would_ you start?" Said the blonde, hoping to relax the tension; Harry just sent her a warning glance and continued.

"You already know that my name wasn't always Harry Evans, in fact it's only been that for just under two years. I changed it from Harry Potter to make it a little harder for people to find me, but that will make a little more sense soon. My parents, Lily and James Potter didn't die in a car accident, like I tell everyone, they were murdered when I was only one, and I only survived because of a fluke. This happened on Halloween in 1981, and is one of the reasons I hate the holiday." A look of understanding showed on the girl's face, it was one of the things Harry hadn't shared when she'd asked him the previous year. It was not long after they had gotten to know each other, and she couldn't understand why he was feeling so down when he was normally reasonable company.

"The guy who killed my parents, Tom Riddle, was a really nasty person. He went around killing lots of people, with the help of his followers, just because he thought they were of lesser blood. After he tried to kill me, and failed, he disappeared; a fact which practically everyone celebrated. I was sent to live with my mother's sister, her husband and their son of my age and for the next ten years of my life I lived in the cupboard under the stairs, doing chores and staying out of their way. Nothing much to say about my time there, I hated it. I hated my family because of the way they treated me, they didn't understand, so they called me a freak. I get on really well with them now though; we managed to come to a few understandings a few years back." Harry smiled slightly at the way he had gotten them to listen to him; there had been a lot of yelling involved from both Vernon and him.

"A few days before my eleventh birthday I started getting letters, lots and lots of letters which my uncle wouldn't let me read. Eventually a _really_ big man showed up to explain everything to me." Taking a deep breath in and looking at Allie's attentive, but slightly confused, expression, Harry prepared to drop the bombshell. After a moment of preparing himself, he realised it was going to be a lot harder than he had thought it would be. He really had _no_ idea of how to say it. He saw both Allie and Connie were still waiting; it wouldn't take long for Allie to say something – she wasn't exactly a patient person.

True enough, she spoke up, looking at Harry she said, "and…? What did he explain?"

_I just have to say it. I'll tell her what I am, and then it will be easier._ At least he could give her proof if she didn't believe him.

"He explained about who I am, about my parents, but most importantly he explained about _what_ I am." Deep breath, _just say it_, "Allie, I'm a wizard."


	12. Chapter twelve

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_No long wait this time! You get Allie's reaction here, and you begin to see a little of what Harry does after his fifth year, though there isn't much in this chapter. It's getting late, and I want to get this posted, so no review responses this time, but **thank you** to everyone who reviews._

**

* * *

****Fulfilling Prophecies

* * *

****Chapter eleven**

_Still October 29th, 2000_

"_He explained about who I am, about my parents, but most importantly he explained about what I am." Deep breath, just say it, "Allie, I'm a wizard."_

Silence; there was a pause when nobody spoke. Allie was wearing an expression that would've been amusing if Harry hadn't been quite so nervous. Connie was sitting quietly still, looking cautiously at her blonde friend. But Allie didn't even notice she was being watched, she just sat there, silently looking at him.

Then she laughed a short laugh. It sounded harsh and forced, particularly since she was looking slightly angry. "I thought you were going to tell me what was going on in your life, Harry; not feed me some pathetic attempt at a joke."

"You don't believe me," Harry stated flatly.

"How can I when you tell me that you are a wizard?" Allie was definitely angry now; she was gesturing wildly with her hands and staring straight at the black-haired young man sitting opposite her. "I suppose you wave around magic wands and wear pointed hats, do you?" She said sarcastically, a tone of voice she seldom used.

Harry blinked once, "yes, actually we do. Though I only wear the hat when I absolutely _have_ to, I very much dislike them. As for the magic wands," he pulled his own from its customary place in his forearm holster, "most witches and wizards need to use them, though a few can do a very small amount of magic without them."

Allie was staring indignantly at Harry, while Connie was looking interested at the mention of wandless magic. Turning her attention to her long-time friend, Allie addressed Connie, "you don't actually believe this, do you?"

"Well, yes. I already knew Harry was a wizard, my cousin, Hermione, was one too, and she showed and told me a few things" The brown-haired girl spoke calmly, and this seemed to settle things down a little, though Allie still looked disbelieving.

She turned once again to Harry and said, "Prove it. Prove magic is real, and that you, being a _wizard,_ can do it."

Obviously expecting some objection, she looked slightly surprised when Harry just shrugged and said, "Sure."

Thinking for a moment about what he would show Allie, Harry kept his grip on his wand relaxed. Making up his mind, he spoke clearly and said "_Wingardium Leviosa_" pointing his wand at his glass on the table.

Harry thought Allie was going to actually faint. He saw her eyes widen and her face pale as she watched the glass float from the low coffee table to her eye-level. "H-how? How is it possible?" Allie waved her hand above and below the glass, looking as though she expected to feel some sort of resistance in the form of invisible string holding it up.

She turned to Connie, trying to gauge her reaction to the strange phenomenon. Connie Granger was still sitting quietly, watching, not the glass, but her friend. "I know it takes a bit to get used to, Allie. It seems to be much easier to deal with if you learn about it when you're younger."

"Are you okay, Allie?" Harry asked her nervously. He didn't want his friend to be scared of him, it was the main reason he had never told her, that and the fact that he was trying to get away from thinking about any of it.

"I – I think I'm okay. It's just a lot to take in." She laughed nervously, all traces of anger gone as she watched Harry float the glass back onto the table. "Can you do anything else?"

Harry grinned at her, "Yup, I can do _loads_ more." He proceeded to demonstrate by transfiguring the table so that it had legs, animating it so that it walked around the room at a slow pace; he then placed a charm on Allie's clothes to make them change colours every couple of seconds, though it took her a while to notice it as she was still watching the table make its way around the furniture. Harry was noticing that Connie was also very interested in what he was doing.

"I'll show you one last thing, and then I really need to tell you more." The two girls focussed their attention on him, he casually removed his previous spell work, leaving the table on the other side of the couch from where it usually was. Then, closing his eyes and concentrating for a moment – it had been a while since he had tried _this_ piece of magic – Harry thought in his mind _animus_.

The two girls gave small shrieks when he transformed into a rather large black panther. It had been a very proud moment for him when he completed his first transformation into his animagus form. He thought the panther was a very suitable animal for him, while not quite as Gryffindor as, say, a lion it was still a brave creature, just a slightly more cunning one. It was this latter aspect that pleased Harry the most, when he finally started to grow out of his naivety after his fifth year, he had embraced some of his Slytherin qualities and realised he could be quite cunning and sneaky when he needed to be. Hermione had given him the nickname Bagheera when he had shown her, and the two of them had laughed at Ron's confused face before explaining that it was 'a muggle thing' – a phrase they had had to use a lot for Ron and most of the other pure-blood wizards.

Tilting his black head up to the two stock-still girls, Harry gave a big yawn, showing off all his teeth, before licking his lips and walking up to Allie. The poor girl was too scared to move, but Harry merely started purring and rubbing his head against her legs – with almost enough weight to push her over.

This seemed to bring her out of her fear, and she said in a cautious whisper, "_Harry?_" When he looked up again and nodded his large head, she began to tentatively scratch behind his ears. His purring grew louder and he rolled on his back in pleasure.

"You're just a big kitten!" Allie said to Connie without too much nervousness.

Harry enjoyed the two girls' ministrations for a few moments longer before padding softly away and transforming back into himself.

"So, what did you think?" He asked them with a soft smile. He received two big grins in response.

* * *

After his display of magic to Allie and Connie, Harry explained about most of the rest of his life at Hogwarts. He missed out a few things that he didn't want her to know, such as Ginny's involvement in opening the Chamber of Secrets. It was when he was getting to the end of his fifth year that things became more difficult to recall.

Allie had been asking a few questions when she really didn't understand something, but for the most part she just let Harry keep his narrative going. Connie had been filling in a few little details she had gotten from Hermione that she thought Allie might be interested in, but had otherwise been quiet. However, when Harry got to telling his friends about the Department of Mysteries, he frowned and slowed his story down.

"What happened at the end of my fifth year was difficult in ways that nothing before it had been. It's still kind of hard for me to think about it, so I hope you don't mind if I don't go into too much detail." Seeing only understanding, Harry continued. "I got a vision from Voldemort that my Godfather, that's Sirius, was being held by him. So I, naturally, had to go and try to rescue him.

"Despite a few attempts at stopping me, including my nasty Defence professor threatening to curse me with a highly illegal curse, I managed to escape the castle with five of my close friends. Once we were at the Ministry of Magic, where the vision had showed Sirius to be, it didn't take long for us to get to where I _knew_ he was being held." Harry sighed, "But he wasn't there. I had been tricked. There was something else of interest there though, a sphere that had my name written on the shelf below it. Once I picked it up, the Death Eaters showed up, demanding I give them the prophecy. I didn't have a clue what they were talking about, but it didn't take long for me to realise that they wanted the sphere I now had, and they wanted it undamaged. We managed to hold the Death Eaters off for a while, but there were too many injuries within the group for us to be able to get out on our own. Luckily the Order showed up. I told you about them, right?" Allie nodded. "Well, Sirius was one of the ones who came – he had been itching to get out of headquarters for ages, and was enjoying the fight, which was now going well for our side."

Harry took a deep breath in, this was the hardest part. "Sirius was fighting his cousin in this strange room with a veiled archway in the centre. She… she got him with a curse, right after he had been laughing at her, and he fell through the veil. He… he never came out of it, he died because of my foolishness." Closing his eyes tight to stave off tears, Harry listened to the silence. Neither of the girls was moving, they both had sad and horrified expressions and didn't dare to break the tension.

After a minute of silence, Harry spoke again. "After that everything was different. Later that same night I got _very_ angry with my Headmaster for not explaining things to me when it could have prevented Sirius' death. You see, he told me a prophecy. It involved Voldemort and myself, and basically said that I either had to kill him, or be killed _by_ him. It's rather a lot to take in for a fifteen-year-old who had just lost the closest thing they had to a father." Harry gave a small chuckle, "his office was a disaster area after I was through." _It's a good thing Albus never got me angry in his office again,_ Harry thought to himself, _I don't think he ever bought enough to replace his broken possessions._

Not letting either of the girls interrupt, Harry ploughed onwards, into his sixth year. "I grew up a lot over that summer. I was annoyed with Dumbledore for the secret he had kept from me my whole life, but I understood that I needed him, so I didn't push him away. He arranged for me to receive training from several different Aurors – Wizarding police really – and had at least one of them there to supervise my continued Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape." Snape had particularly hated it when Moody was supervising; the old auror didn't trust him and liked to show it. "My training eased off a little when I started school, but I still had private lessons to help me get ready. I was also admitted into the Order as a non-active member once I had completed my Occlumency training." _That had been a battle and a half trying to convince Sev that I was ready for any mind attacks that might come at me._ Harry remembered his potions professor using legillimency on him at random occasions – in classes, when he was walking down the hallways, in the Great Hall at dinner time – it had taken Harry a whole month of being able to fend off these attacks completely before the man had grudgingly said it was the best he could hope for.

"Not a lot happened for most of the year, Voldemort made attacks, which I wasn't allowed to help fight against, but there wasn't anything that directly affected me like in previous years at Hogwarts; not until a few months before the end of the school year anyway." What had happened to Harry at the end of his sixth year had been more trying than his Godfather's death, and he knew it would be more difficult to talk about. He wasn't going to tell them everything that happened to him, but it didn't stop him from seeing, and feeling, it all again as he recalled it.

"It was the middle of March, and I got called into Dumbledore's office. I didn't expect to see my muggle aunt and uncle standing there, looking absolutely terrified, along with my squib neighbour, Mrs. Figg."

**

* * *

A/N: Okay, now review! Please?**

Let me know what you like and dislike! Is there anything that really sucks? Or anything that you really like? Do you think Allie's reaction is believable? What do you think happened at the end of Harry's sixth year (the next chapter will show it in a flashback)? Do you like Harry's animagus name? I can imagine Harry and Hermione having to say 'it's a muggle thing' a lot to Ron! Anyway, thanks everyone for reading - and reviewing, hopefully ;)


	13. Chapter thirteen

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_I'm sorry! I just haven't had either the inspiration, or the time to write much. I only got this chapter finished because I felt really guilty, and had a free morning. I'm not sure how fast I'll get the next chapter up; it'll most likely be slow still._

**Thanks for everyone who has reviewed, they make me happy :D**

**

* * *

Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter thirteen**

"_It was the middle of March, and I got called into Dumbledore's office. I didn't expect to see my muggle aunt and uncle standing there, looking absolutely terrified, along with my squib neighbour, Mrs. Figg."_

**

* * *

Flashback**

Harry was shocked to see his aunt and uncle in Dumbledore's office, it was the last thing he'd expected when Professor McGonagall told him he had to go see the Headmaster.

Looking at the haunted and terrified expressions on their faces, and the nervous and worried one that Mrs Figg was wearing, Harry felt a cold feeling travel through his body. Whatever the reason for their being here, it couldn't be good.

"Sir?" Dumbledore looked up at his student's querying tone. There was no trace of the twinkle in his eyes now. "What are they doing here? Is something wrong?" Harry's attitude changed slightly with the presence of the Dursley's. He reverted to a slightly meeker version of himself, more like he was when he stayed at Privet Dr over the summer. He still held his confidence though, they were at _his_ home now, he wasn't going to be insulted or ignored by them here.

"Perhaps it would be best if you sit down Harry?" It spoke of the seriousness of the situation that Albus didn't offer one of his lemon drops. "About half an hour ago I received a rather urgent call from Mrs Figg saying that there were Death Eaters at Privet Drive." Harry breathed in sharply, he may not particularly like or get on with his family, but he didn't want any harm to come to them. And if Voldemort had found a way to get through the wards…

As if sensing his thoughts, Dumbledore explained further. "They could not breach the wards, but they knew where the wards began. Both your aunt and uncle were inside, and your cousin was off outside with his friends. Fortunately Mrs Figg noticed and was able to alert the Order, as well as make warn Mr and Mrs Dursley to stay inside the house."

Harry noticed that no mention was made of Dudley. It was him, something had happened to his cousin. "What happened to Dudley?" Harry spoke softly, but it caused a large reaction from his aunt and uncle. Petunia, who had previously been crying quietly, let out great big sobs and buried her face in her handkerchief. Vernon, his face betraying anger, stood and faced Harry.

"This is your fault! You and your freak friends! My Dudley doesn't deserve what is happening to him, he is normal and a good boy, not like you!" Vernon's voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "you better pray that Dudley gets back safe and sound, or you'll pay for it."

Not wanting to put up with his uncle's threats on his own turf, but shocked by what was happening, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a muting charm on the man. It didn't shut him up completely, but it did dull the sound a little, and had the pleasant side effect of calming emotions down a little as well. Deciding to ignore his uncle for the moment, Harry turned to his headmaster to find out what had happened to his cousin.

"Your cousin was in the park, he stood no chance of getting away when the Death Eaters appeared and surrounded him and his friends. It seems their main objective was to capture Dudley and take him back to Tom, but while one of them did so, the others focussed on your cousin's friends." Seeing the terrified and guilty expression on Harry's face, the old man continued on quickly, "They are all going to be all right, though two of them will be spending a few weeks in St Mungo's. The Order members managed to show up fairly quickly and the Death Eaters apparated away at the first sign of resistance."

"What is being done to find Dudley?" Harry asked, hoping that there was still hope for his cousin. Petunia lifted her head at the concern she heard in her nephew's voice, and Vernon looked a little less angry at the question.

"Before they left, one of the Death Eaters left us a message. He said, '_Our Lord says that only by following their connection can Potter find his cousin, and only when he does will the boy be returned._' We tried to follow their apparition trail, but it was masked and led us around in circles. I'm afraid we have no way of knowing where Dudley is being held."

Frowning, Harry said "what does he mean follow the connection? I assume he was talking about my scar, but how would that help?"

Dumbledore, too, was confused by the message, though he was wary of admitting it, particularly in front of all those gathered. "Perhaps you could guide Mrs Figg and your aunt and uncle to the hospital wing for now. Once you are back we can discuss what needs to be done. Mrs Figg, if you would be so kind as to stay with them and help make sure the Dursley's are all right?"

Seeing Harry's uncertainty at having to lead his magic-hating relatives through the halls of Hogwarts, Dumbledore muttered a few words and waved his wand over the pair. "I've placed them under a strong calming charm, be sure to mention it when you find Madame Pomfrey."

Harry nodded and stood, indicating that the others should follow him. It was a quiet trip down, there were a few students but they steered clear of him when they saw the serious expression and his still nervous looking followers. He passed by Professor McGonagall, who was supposedly on her way to see the headmaster, and she gave him a small, slightly confused, nod as she passed.

"Madame Pomfrey?" Harry called as he entered the empty hospital wing. The medi-witch soon came bustling out of her office, looking to see who was needing her attention.

"Oh, Harry! You haven't gotten yourself into trouble have you? You've been so good this year; I've only had to see you a few times!" _That's because most of the time other people heal me,_ Harry thought as he recalled the number of injuries he had received in his training.

"I'm not here for myself Ma'am. I've brought my aunt and uncle down from the Headmaster's office, and Mrs Figg as well." Harry spoke softly to the kindly old matron who he knew far too well.

"Oh, yes, Albus told me to expect a few guests. I can take care of them now, Harry. You'd best be back to whatever it is you have to do. Unless you'd prefer to stay with your family?" Poppy Pomfrey knew of Harry's conflict with his family, but thought she'd better offer anyway.

"No, you're right, I should head back to see Professor Dumbledore. Oh, he cast a strong calming charm on my aunt and uncle before I brought them down." He paused, wondering how best to phrase what he had to say. "They have a particular _dislike_ of magic, and may be rather argumentative."

Pomfrey chuckled softly, "thank you Harry. Now, off with you! And I don't want to see you again any time soon!" Smiling quietly, Harry left with a wave, and headed back to find out what was going to happen next.

* * *

Arriving back in Dumbledore's office, Harry noticed the room was much busier than it had been. The room's occupants sitting in seats or standing around the walls since there weren't enough chairs and not enough room to conjure more. Professor McGonagall had, indeed, been on her way here when Harry had passed her earlier, she was now sitting in a stiff backed chair next to Dumbledore's large desk. Snape was standing against the wall, right next to where the door was, so he was currently glaring at Harry most likely annoyed that they had been waiting for Gryffindor's 'Golden Boy'. Remus Lupin was sitting in a soft chair next to McGonagall, and he gave Harry a smile as they made eye contact. The auror Kingsley Shacklebolt was sitting on a couch with his younger colleague, Nymphadora Tonks, who was the current DADA professor since she had been injured and forced to take leave. Arthur Weasley was also there, and he, too, gave Harry a smile from his position behind McGonagall. The only other new occupant of the room was Alastor Moody, who was sitting on a rather uncomfortable looking chair opposite Minerva. 

Seeing Harry enter, Dumbledore stood behind his desk and began to outline the situation. Unsure of where to sit, or stand, Harry remained at the back, and stood against the wall on the other side of the door to Severus.

"It would be best if we could move quickly before Voldemort has a chance to do any harm to Dudley Dursley. Our problem is that we have no idea _where_ to begin looking. I was hoping Severus would be able to help us with that."

Every head in the room turned to look at the Potions master, except for Harry. The youngest of the group was thinking about what the message from Voldemort meant. _Follow the connection_? It couldn't be anything too difficult; otherwise there wouldn't have been any point. Harry was half listening to Snape speak about his theories on the Dark Lord's hideaway.

"I know it can't be too far away from London, the weather seems to be fairly similar if I leave from there. And it couldn't be too close to Hogwarts, as the school's wards would interfere with the ones the Dark Lord puts up." _I wonder what sort of wards are around it. Unplottable, muggle prevention obviously, apparition maybe – but the Death Eaters have to get inside somehow, anti-portkey is a possibility but would be a large strain on the ward-holder and not particularly useful since nobody knows where it is to make a portkey _to_ it._ Harry continued to think things through, his thoughts running along a similar path to Snape's outspoken ones. "I believe he pulls down certain wards when he is expecting us to arrive." _that could be used to our advantage in an attack,_ Harry mused. "It would be foolish to think we could use a tracking spell, or anything else of the sort." _Perhaps a blood spell would work, is that the connection he was talking about? We share blood through his rebirthing ritual, so it could be that rather than my scar. But I doubt the wards will allow me to find him with a blood spell._ "Whenever he wants us, we have to follow the connection through our marks, and apparate blindly to him. That is when I assume he lowers the anti-apparition wards." _The mark connection must be similar to my scar connection! I must have to apparate using it._ Harry made eye contact with Dumbledore, who looked like he had solved the mystery too.

"No, Harry," the Headmaster said, startling everyone, and frustrating Snape. "Even if you could learn how to in the short time span, I wouldn't risk you."

"There's no other way to find him. You know that. Snape is under too much suspicion already to be called at a time like this, and we can't risk losing him or his position even if he did go." Harry was determined the Headmaster was going to listen to him, "and besides, I already know how to apparate, so that's not the problem."

There was a small uproar at his last statement, by all other than Dumbledore and Moody. Dumbledore because nothing could make him lose his calm like that, though Harry was surprised the man didn't know of Harry's ability already. Moody wasn't shocked by Harry's claim either, as it was the ex-auror who had taught him how to apparate in the first place.

While everyone else was still confused as to what the young Gryffindor and the Headmaster were going on about, the two in question were engaged in a battle of wills. Harry was certain that this was the only way to save his cousin, and there was no way he was going to leave Dudley to Voldemort, no matter how cruel the boy had been to him in the past. Dumbledore, too, knew that this was the only way to save the boy, it might be possible with more time, but time wasn't something Tom Riddle liked to give. But the old Headmaster couldn't bear the thought of sending his favourite student – he admitted to himself that Harry was most definitely his favourite – into harms way; the risk was far too high and in all truth, the Dursley boy was expendable.

"Sir, with all due respect, if I decided to go, there isn't a lot you could do to stop me. I would find a way past Hogwarts' apparition wards and apparate directly to Him, you know I would." Harry sighed, noticing that every other person in the room was watching him and Dumbledore, finally catching on to what they were talking about. "I can't apparate with anybody else, so the best you can do for me is to prepare me for what I might have to face there – and a way out. I can do it sir, you know I can."

Sitting down heavily in his ornate desk chair, Albus Dumbledore knew he had no other choice. If the boy was well enough prepared, and had a portkey back to Hogwarts with him, he had a good chance of getting his cousin out from Voldemort's clutches.

"Very well, you will spend the next week proving to me that you are capable, and learning anything else you will need to know." Harry smiled sadly, it wasn't that he _wanted_ to go and put himself in danger, he just knew that nobody else could. He was just glad Dumbledore had realised it as well.

Everybody else, once they knew exactly what was going to happen, protested against it. But Albus Dumbledore was a very stubborn man, as was Harry Potter. And not even the combined efforts of seven witches and wizards, powerful in their own right, could change their minds.

* * *

For the next week, Harry didn't go to his regular classes; instead he stepped up his private lessons. He now had a larger group of teachers than he used to; with three past or current aurors, a werewolf who was knowledgeable in defence, a reformed Death Eater turned spy, and the man regarded as the most powerful wizard of the age. Hermione was incredibly jealous. Ron just thought it was cool. 

Harry had decided against telling any of his friends what it was he was doing until the day he left. He didn't want to deal with them trying to convince him to 'leave it to the adults' as he knew they would in concern for his safety. So all they knew was that he was having extra lessons for the week.

When the day came for him to leave, Harry arranged to meet Dumbledore, Moody and his friends in the Headmaster's office. After explaining the situation to Ron and Hermione (and getting the reactions he had expected), Harry turned to Dumbledore.

"I'm ready, sir." The old man peered at him over his half-moon glasses, and nodded once. Dumbledore glanced at Moody and the ex-Auror grunted, pulling out two almost identical chains one with a gold medallion the size of a fifty-pence coin, the other with a silver phoenix pendant.

Harry took them wordlessly, without meeting Moody's eyes. He knew what to do with them, he had already been told the activation words, and where they would portkey him to. Taking a deep breath, Harry turned to the Headmaster again.

Albus Dumbledore was looking his age as he tapped his wand on an old copy of the Daily Prophet. It glowed blue for a moment. "This will take you to a room in the Leaky Cauldron Tom has kept free for you. It has also been warded against any prying by the Ministry, so they will not know what you are doing. You know what to do from there." Handing the newspaper to the nervous teen, he said softly, "Harry, be careful."

**

* * *

A/N:** Next time, the flashback continues, and we see what happens as Harry goes to rescue his cousin.  
I'll try my hardest not to make the wait as long as the last.


	14. Chapter fourteen

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters; I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement._

**A/N: **_Well, I've got some more written. And during exam time too! It's a wonder what procrastination can do for anything besides study._

**Thanks everyone who reviews this story, it's nice to know people are reading it! And if you are reading it and not reviewing, I hope you are enjoying it.**

**

* * *

Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter fourteen**

Flashback cont.

Harry appeared in a small room that he recognised as being a part of the Leaky Cauldron. Looking around, he noticed it was bare of anything other than a bed and an open, empty wardrobe. He assumed it was because of security; this way no small object could have been left to disturb the wards. On the wooden floor a circular diagram was carved, this was the focus for the wards that were keeping him hidden. Taking a step towards the bed, Harry spent a minute carefully taking inventory of what he had with him.

It didn't seem much, not when he thought about what he would be facing. He had the two escape portkeys, both around his neck; Gryffindor's sword was at his side and another, smaller, dagger was strapped to his right forearm. Moody had, as part of his training, made him get used to moving with weapons on him. This had involved Harry doing everything, bar sleeping, with them hidden under glamour charms. The two blades weren't his only weapons; he had his wand out and several vials of potions in a belt around his waist. Two of the six potions would explode when the glass broke, another two would create a thick smoke screen, and the last two were healing potions. The last thing Harry had with him was his invisibility cloak. He took this out now, enlarging it from its magically reduced size, and slipping it over his shoulders.

Standing, Harry moved to the middle of the room and settled into the relaxed, but ready, stance Moody had taught him to apparate from. This way he would be ready to move as soon as he arrived at his destination. Turning his mind inwards, Harry sought the connection between Voldemort and himself. This had been part of the training he had received over the past week. Snape had been showing Harry how to focus on his magical connection in the same way as he did for his mark. Once he had found it and was confident he could follow it, Harry focused on arriving as silently as possible to give himself the greatest chance of going unnoticed.

Harry felt himself arrive slowly, it always seemed to take him longer to apparate when he did it silently – it was rather uncomfortable as well – but the benefits of silence outweighed the discomfort, so he shrugged off the ill feeling and took stock of his surroundings.

He was in a small room furnished in dark green and rich wooden panelling. Currently, Harry was crouching in between a bookcase and a wall. Close enough to read the titles on the books, he saw that most of them wouldn't even belong in the restricted section of Hogwarts' library. The wall next to Harry was bare apart from a small glowing fireplace set in the middle. It was too small for Floo travel, but would be large enough to hold a conversation in. Opposite the bookcase Harry had already examined was a second, similar bookcase, though this one held more instruments than books, they reminded him of the instruments in Dumbledore's office. Against the wall farthest from him was a long desk covered in paper, with a large deep red armchair pulled up to it. Harry could tell he wasn't alone, and, although he couldn't see anybody from his position, he guessed there was someone sitting at the desk, hidden by the large back of the armchair. Shifting slowly and as quietly as he could, Harry felt a sudden, sharp pain in his scar and saw movement over by the desk. Feeling a sense of anticipation that was not his own, the nervous teen hurried to strengthen his occlumency shields before shrinking back against the wall.

As Harry made himself as small as possible, he saw Lord Voldemort standing up from the armchair. The Dark Lord had a faint smile on his face as he glanced around the room. Harry could see him muttering something quietly, but wasn't close enough to hear the words. Walking with a disturbing grace, Voldemort went to the door and opened it smoothly before stepping out into the hallway. Harry saw his chance to get out of the room unnoticed, and moved quickly through the gap of the closing door. Satisfied that his exit had not drawn any attention, he decided to go the follow Voldemort down the hallway, certain he was going to visit Dudley.

Harry was fairly certain that Voldemort knew he was here somewhere, he just hoped the Dark Lord didn't know _exactly_ where he was, although if he did, Harry would probably be dead already.

Walking softly a safe distance behind his greatest enemy, Harry found it hard to resist the urge to just take out his wand and throw a spell at Voldemort. He knew it would be pointless, Tom Riddle had been an excellent student at Hogwarts, and had far too much experience to fall to such a trick. Anyone with any Auror or Dark Arts training would be able to feel the spell coming, particularly if they were already on edge. Harry had had some practice in sensing spells, and was competent enough that he wouldn't have fallen for what he was thinking of doing to Voldemort.

The hallways they were walking down were all similar, wooden panelling covered the lower half of the walls, and the top half was stone that looked newer than Hogwarts, but still old. The Dark Lord had stopped once to speak to a portrait on the wall, but other than that he had walked with great purpose through the building. Harry found it slightly disconcerting that nothing happened – nobody walked past, nor were any doors open along the way; there was nothing at all besides the two of them in the halls.

Harry followed Voldemort down two flights of steps before it looked like they were close to the dungeons. The décor changed dramatically into a cold and uninviting environment much more fitting of the places purpose. Once they were down in the dungeons, Harry noticed heavy wooden doors lining the halls, the locks and small windows indicating they were cell doors.

Slowing down, Harry started checking each cell as he passed. Most of them were empty, but a few had a witch or wizard in them. He tried to remember as much as he could about these unfortunate people in the hope of helping them when he got back to Hogwarts. He wasn't foolish enough to think he could rescue all of them, it would be hard enough just trying to get Dudley and himself out.

Noticing that Voldemort had stopped next to an open cell further along and was talking to someone inside, Harry became briefer in checking the cells. He didn't want to assume straight off that that was Dudley's cell, but as he drew closer he knew it was.

"I-I-I don't know a-anyth-thing! I swear!" That was Dudley all right, at least he still sounded okay. "Please, just let me go."

Harry watched Voldemort lean forward and heard him say in an almost conversational whisper, "you are pathetic, even for a disgusting muggle." With that parting statement, the Dark Lord indicated to a pair of Death Eater guards that must have been inside the cell before and left back the way he had come. Flattening himself against the wall, Harry quickly avoided the red-eyed mans sweeping robes as he strode past.

Once he was sure there was only the two guards around, Harry moved closer to the cell and stood behind one of the guards. Pointing his wand at the man's back, he whispered a stunning spell, quickly followed by a freezing charm. He did them quickly enough that the man didn't move from his position, and still appeared to be guarding the cell. The second guard was taken care of in the same way, and Harry stood in front of the cell door unopposed.

"_Alohomora,_" the softly spoken spell unlocked the door and Harry pushed it slowly aside. Unfortunately the person on the other side of the door was not his cousin, and he was instead faced with a white mask underneath a black hooded cloak.

Reacting on instinct, Harry threw himself back out of the doorway, sending a tripping jinx at the Death Eater as they followed him out of the cell. He watched as they tripped into the wall in a jarring enough motion to dislodge the white mask. When Harry saw who it was hatred coursed through him and gave him with enough power to make his stunning spell throw them down three cells. With quick, sharp movements, Harry checked the cell. Finding no more surprises awaiting him, he helped his cousin up from where he was huddled in the corner. Leaving the large boy standing in the doorway between the two unconscious guards, Harry stalked over to the Death Eater lying motionless on the ground.

Ripping the mask right off, Harry stared into the half open eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange. The insane Death Eater. His Godfather's cousin. His Godfather's killer.

Crouching down over her, the raven-haired teenager ignored his cousin's pitiful moans and pointed his wand into the woman's face. Petrifying and silencing her first, Harry enervated her, still keeping his wand directly in her vision.

Leaning down closer, Harry whispered into her ear, "you're dead, bitch." Leaning back and standing up, he held out his wand and said with tightly controlled anger "_Avada Kedavra._"

The green light filled his vision as it struck Bellatrix straight on. Harry hadn't been thinking as he shot the spell, but when he saw the light he realised what he had done. And he felt no regret. This hadn't been the righteous anger of last years attempt at the cruciatus curse, this time he knew it was pure, unadulterated hatred that flowed through him. He _meant_ it this time.

A strange calm came over Harry as he walked away from the lifeless body of Lestrange, and he knelt next to Dudley and efficiently pulled out one of the healing potions, forcibly poring it down the other boy's throat.

This seemed to knock Dudley out of his stupor, and Harry's cousin spluttered through the taste. "Wh-what was that!"

"That, Dudley, was a healing potion. It's not the best, but it'll keep you going until I can get you out." Taking stock of the situation, Harry knew he had to get moving soon. If Bellatrix had been hiding out in Dudley's cell, that meant Voldemort knew Harry was there and had set the trap to catch him. "Okay, Dudley. You need to listen to me. I'm going to get you out of here. But we need to go quickly before Voldemort springs his trap."

Harry hauled his cousin up as he spoke, shifting Gryffindor's sword out of the way as he tried to drag Dudley down the hallway. Dudley, however, was not being very helpful. It seemed his large cousin was too busy staring at him to move properly. "What is it, Dudley?" Harry sighed.

"You! You have a sword, and a knife! A-and what did you do to _her_?" Here he pointed back towards Lestrange, his eyes wide in astonishment and fear.

"I killed her Dudley." Harry said flatly. "And, yes, I have a sword, and a knife, and a few other weapons. We're going to need them if we want to get out of here."

"How _are_ we getting out of here? _She_ said you would never get out."

Pulling the gold chain out from under his top, Harry put it around Dudley's neck. "Do _not_ lose this. It's how you're getting out. When I tell you to, say the words 'phoenix rising' and you will be taken somewhere safe. If you say them before I tell you to, nothing will happen; and if you don't say them, then things will get very difficult." Harry peered intently at his cousin, "do you understand?" Dudley nodded and willingly followed him down the hallway.

The two of them walked quietly (or as quietly as he could in Dudley's case) for about ten minutes before Harry noticed that something was wrong. When he had followed Voldemort down to the dungeons, they had only spent about five minutes on this floor before they had reached Dudley's cell. Upon realising this, Harry stopped next to a cell door and swore. Colourfully.

Unfortunately this only succeeded in causing his cousin to look at him as if he was insane. Thinking quickly, Harry recalled a spell he had learned which created a loop in a certain area. It was often used for broomstick or dragon racing to create a track in a small space, but there was no reason why it couldn't be used here. It didn't take him long to remember that the spell could be ended by a modified _finite_, and he soon felt the magic disentangle itself from the solid structure of the hall. This time it didn't take long for Harry and Dudley to find the stairs that would take them up to the main floors.

Harry was gritting his teeth at the loud sound of his cousin stomping up the stairs behind him. He knew Dudley didn't have the lightest step in the best of conditions, but the noise he was making now was going to get them caught. He stopped on a landing, and turned to face the large boy behind him.

"_Silencio,_" Harry said, aiming the spell at Dudley's feet and directing the magic to act only on that area; it wouldn't be a good idea to have him completely quiet and unable to indicate trouble.

Dudley looked startled and confused at Harry's use of the spell, but one look at Harry's serious face convinced him to not ask any questions.

The pair continued up the long stairs for a while longer before Harry heard some sounds coming quickly down from above them. Pushing at a door behind him, Harry glanced into the room before pulling his cousin in with him.

Wrong move.

Harry turned and looked at his surroundings, seeing nothing there for only a moment before five disillusionment charms were removed. There, surrounding them, were five Death Eaters hidden behind their white masks.

_ End Flashback _


	15. Chapter fifteen

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **_Ummm… hi… anybody still remember me? I'm ashamed to say I'd pretty much forgotten about this fic, so when I got a little reminder email about it, I decided to see what I had sitting round on my computer. And found I had a chapter sitting round I hadn't uploaded. So this is going up, but I don't know how long it will be before it gets updated again. Sorry!_

(Oh, and HBP was shocking (and good)! And there were a few things in there that were similar to ideas I had for this story – like soul stone horcruxes; so I might use a few of those concepts, though this story is rather AU now.)

**

* * *

Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter Fifteen**

_October 29th, 2000_

Harry paused in his speech. Looking directly at Allie, rather than at the table, he frowned. "I don't want to go into details, I've dealt with all of this, it's behind me now, and I'd rather not burden you with all that happened."

Allie was about to protest, but Harry shook his head and Connie put a hand on the blonde girl's shoulder. She nodded reluctantly, and Harry continued.

"After Dudley and I were surrounded, things weren't looking too good and I knew it was going to be rather _difficult_ to get us both out of there. So I didn't. I did my 'saving people thing', as Hermione called it, and punched through the anti-portkey wards activating my cousin's portkey at the same time. I couldn't do both at once, and there was no way I was leaving him there to be tortured and killed rather quickly. At least with me, Voldemort would want to gloat a while, and I'd have a chance to get out.

"Anyway, the power I used knocked me out; but I managed to see Dudley disappear to safety first, so I didn't fight to stay conscious. The next thing I knew, I was in a dungeon, wearing only my pants; no weapons, and no portkey necklace, so no chance of immediate escape. The next two months were a blur of pain, spells and very little in the way of food. The only reason they hadn't killed me was Voldemort had the strange idea that he could transfer my power – which in its raw form was almost equal to his – to him. I got to be a guinea pig for some new and some ancient spells; none of which worked, thankfully." Looking up briefly, Harry saw a look of shock on Allie's face. She could never have guessed he had gone through anything like this, and it was incredible to her that he was still here; and sane. "I managed to escape when one of Voldemort's spells backfired and left me with a short burst of magical power. I escaped in a similar way to how I got Dudley out. I punched out the wards preventing apparition, and apparated myself to the only safe place I could picture clearly – the Burrow."

Calming down, Harry sighed. "I was very weak. After two months of constant strain on both my magic and my body I wasn't able to do anything much at all. So I was sent back to Privet Drive early, and my Aunt looked after me. I suppose she was grateful that I saved her 'baby boy', so she took good care of me; it was either that or the constant visits from Order members and my friends. I grew closer to my aunt, and more tolerant of my uncle; helped by the fact that they were doing the same towards me. Dudley blamed me for what happened, even though I went in and rescued him. I think he had been having nightmares, and couldn't cope. He was away at his school most of the time, however, so I didn't see him very much." Dudley and Harry had stayed away from each other as much as they could after that; Harry also thought his large cousin was a little jealous of the fact that his parents had to pay attention to Harry, but he never said anything about that.

"I missed my exams that year, but because of my more than adequate progress through the year I was allowed to progress in all my subjects, and I started my seventh year at Hogwarts at full strength. That year was a constant battle. I didn't take part in most of it, but when I did fight, I saw so many people die or get injured. Most of the DA, which I had been officially running that year, wanted to fight; and after we graduated there were a few of us that stayed on at the castle to assist the teachers and fight if we were needed." Harry swallowed a lump in his throat; he knew what came next in his story, and there was no way he wanted to talk about it.

"That summer was hell. The war was waging its toll on everything, and everyone. And just after the school year began Voldemort attacked Hogsmeade with all he had. I think most people lost someone close to them in that battle. Although we were lucky that so few people actually died. Though I find it hard to see how, given who _was_ lost." A glance at Connie showed tears streaming down her cheeks silently, and Harry brushed his own damp cheek harshly as he sniffed away his tears.

Allie looked to have figured out what was going on, and she put one arm around Connie, and placed her free hand on Harry's knee as he spoke again. "Hermione died at the Battle of Hogsmeade, along with fifty other witches and wizards on our side. But we killed almost two hundred of Voldemort's supporters, and drove him away once again." Harry once again tried to forget exactly _how_ Hermione had died; the terrible choice he had been faced with, and the decision he had lived with since.

He said nothing more about that battle and Hermione's death, and continued on, telling the two girls about how Ron had abandoned him, and how on October 30th he had felt Voldemort coming onto the school grounds. Skipping much of the detail of the final battle, Harry told them briefly how he had mortally wounded Voldemort with Gryffindor's sword, and then how he and Dumbledore had trapped the Dark Lord's soul into the stone.

"After I woke from a three month long magical coma, I left the wizarding world and came here. The rest, you know." A silence descended, and Harry filled the awkward moment by getting up to refill everyone's drinks.

It was Connie, not Allie, who broke the silence. She sat on the edge of the sofa clutching her glass of bourbon tightly with both hands; a lifeline to the here and now, rather than the back then and back there where everything bad had happened.

"How did she die Harry? Nobody ever told me." Her voice seemed small, but it was asking the big question that he didn't want to answer. Very few people had known what had happened, except that Harry had come back once again alive, as had Dumbledore, but Hermione had not. And it was Harry's fault.

Harry's grip on his own glass tightened as he struggled to stay calm. "You know Pettigrew owed me a life debt, right? Well, at one stage during the battle after Voldemort had left, I found myself separated from the main battle, with Hermione and Dumbledore by my side. Something happened, I'm not sure what, an explosion of some sort, but Dumbledore collapsed and a Death Eater had a wand pointed at his head. I remember frantically trying to figure out what was going on, and then I saw Hermione struggling against the grip of another Death Eater who had their wand jabbing into her neck."

Another deep breath and another sip of his drink steadied him enough to keep going. "I didn't know what to do, I couldn't get rid of both Death Eaters in time to save them both, and they knew it as well as I did. Then Pettigrew showed himself.

"He knew he still owed me a life debt, and he wanted to be rid of it. So he told me he would spare one of them, and me. He had the authority over those two Death Eaters, and I knew he would do as he said because he gave his word as a wizard that he would do this to repay the debt.

"But I had to choose who would live; who would die. There was Dumbledore; he was the most powerful wizard alive, he brought unity and hope to the light side, he was the only one with the power to help me defeat Voldemort and bring peace back to the wizarding world. Hermione, my best friend, and the closest thing I had to a sister, the smartest witch of our year at school; and at the end of it all, expendable. She understood. She looked at me and gave me a small smile, nodded her head as far as the wand at her throat would allow; and I knew it was the right choice, but it was also the hardest choice.

"Pettigrew kept his word. He left me with Dumbledore to make it back to safety. He even said he would 'generously' leave me her body." Harry squeezed his eyes tightly closed, seeing her in his mind even now. Her eyes open, accepting of her fate, no mark on her. "I brought them both up to the castle, and for a moment everyone thought that they were _both_ dead. It was when I saw the relief, the joy almost, on their faces when they realised their leader was still alive and it was only Hermione who was dead. That proved to me that I had made the right choice. But I couldn't deal with it; Ron couldn't either, and I don't blame him for how he acted.

"No matter what anyone told me, I know it's my fault she died. I may have accepted it, the guilt and the grief, but I still know that it's my fault." Harry was almost whispering; his eyes still closed so he wouldn't have to see his friends' faces.

A touch to his cheek brought his eyes open, and he found himself looking into Connie's forgiving face. Her eyes were still glistening with tears, but she didn't look as sad as she had. "Oh, Harry. Thank you for telling me. Thank you for being there for her." She drew him into a hug, "she would write to me telling me about you. How much you meant to her, how she would die for you if it came to it. She knew what it meant being Harry Potter's friend in the middle of the war, and she accepted all the dangers that came with it. Something she said to me once about you was that it was your ability to feel pain for others that made you such an amazing person. I never understood, she didn't expect me to though, she said I'd have to meet you to understand." Pulling back slowly, she looked him in the eyes again. "I understand now, Harry. You feel the pain for everyone around you, even if they don't feel it themselves. Hermione wouldn't have felt any pain in the way she died. I can honestly tell you she would think it a good death to have died for her side in the war, and for you. She would never have blamed you, nor would she have wanted you to blame yourself; so don't. Forgive yourself, for her."

Staring at her with wide-eyed disbelief, Harry slowly found himself realising the girl in front of him knew Hermione well, knew what she was talking about. He nodded his head, for lack of any better way to express himself; and she smiled knowingly before sniffing gracefully and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Oh, I bet I look a mess after all that. You've lead such a tragic life, Harry, you've driven me to look like this!" Connie poked some gentle fun at the black-haired youth sitting heavily in his chair.

Allie came closer to them, and made a show of inspecting her friend before turning to Harry, "she's right, you know, you've done a spectacular job of making her look awful, in fact, I don't think I've ever seen anything look this awful!"

Connie lifted a hand to slap Allie on the back of the head, but was brought up short by a pillow in her face. Harry had managed to get two pillows and throw one into each of the girls' faces.

A squeak of indignation came from behind a purple and gold striped pillow, "Harry! How did you manage to do that so quickly?"

For the first time since Harry had begun speaking about his life, a smile appeared on his face, and he twirled his wand between his fingers. "Magic."

Harry's smirking statement was followed by the two pillows being whacked at him simultaneously. And that, of course, started a pillow fight of the two girls against Harry; which, armed with his wand, Harry won hands down.

Looking at the clock on the wall, Harry stood from where he sat between the two girls; "I should go, there's a lot that needs to be done, and not much time to do it in. I probably won't be around very much over the next few days; the most you'll see of me will likely be a few minutes at a time." The girls nodded, and Harry went to his room to collect a few things to take back to Hogwarts with him. When he came back out again, Allie and Connie were standing by the door waiting to see him off.

Seeing them there brought a smile to his face, and not just because he was happy to see they cared about him. "Did you realise I wasn't planning on leaving by the front door?" He hadn't expected either of them to think of him travelling by apparating, but it was still amusing to see the confused expressions. He gave each of them a quick hug, and told them to take care, before he stepped back.

"This is how we travel in the wizarding world." There was a small _pop_ and he was gone; leaving the two, shocked girls alone in the flat.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the Potter-verse. Everything you recognise belongs to the magnificent Ms Rowling. I do, however own any characters you don't recognise._

**A/N: **­_I'm sorry! I had major writer's block while working on the letter from Ron – I think because it isn't supposed to be read in the same way as the rest of the story (as my Ron isn't a particularly good letter writer at the best of times!) I found it hard to write more than a sentence at a time. But I finally got it finished, and now I'm working on getting my writing moving again!_

_Again, sorry, I'll try to be better with my updates, but no promises!_

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and those who sent me emails asking when it was going to be updated – feeling guilty can be a good motivator apparently :D_

-----

**Fulfilling Prophecies**

**Chapter sixteen**

October 29, 2000

Harry appeared at the edge of Hogwarts' wards and immediately noticed extra layers of defence Albus and the other teachers must have activated since they learnt the bad news. Mentally nodding his approval of the spell-work, Harry strode quickly up to the castle, through the doors and up to the Headmaster's office.

Knocking politely on the inner door, he waited for an invitation before entering. Seated around a table, which looked suspiciously like it had been transfigured from Albus' desk, were fifteen or so members of the Order, many of whom Harry knew well. From the grim looks on their faces, Harry surmised they knew what was going on and were getting to the heart of the matter.

"Sorry I'm late everyone, I had a small issue to deal with." Harry spoke in way of greeting. Many of the members smiled at him, or nodded a welcome; several looked as though they wanted to get up and give him a proper welcome – Molly Weasley in particular was about to jump out of her seat at the sight of him – but Harry sat down at the empty seat opposite Dumbledore, forestalling any reunions until after the meeting.

"I hope your issue was satisfactorily resolved, Harry, though seeing you in one piece is a good indication." Albus' eyes twinkled more brightly for a moment before he continued, "I have finished outlining the situation, and have just about finished informing the group of the tasks that will be undertaken." Harry nodded in response, and Dumbledore continued on where he left off before Harry's entrance had interrupted the meeting.

Wrapping things up shortly after, Albus let the Order members present mill around and discuss things in smaller groups. He watched with particular interest as Molly Weasley was finally able to give Harry a proper greeting, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as she repeatedly engulfed him in her infamous hugs.

"Really Harry, you should have let me come to visit you; I've been so worried about whether or not you've been eating well!" Harry hastened to assure her he had been eating plenty and healthily, but knew that wasn't the only reason his surrogate mother was worried. "You'll certainly be coming back to the Burrow for at least one meal since you're back." Molly Weasley said firmly before wrapping her arms around him once again.

Smiling his agreement, Harry excused himself and made his way to where Dumbledore was standing behind his desk – transformed back from the large table. "Did you manage to find my notes?" Harry asked, eager to look them over to see whether his earlier theory of Voldemort being reborn as a muggle might be true.

With a nod and grim smile, Dumbledore pulled a folder, filled with both parchment and muggle pieces of paper, out from a drawer in his desk. "They were right where you left them, Harry." Albus stood, silently giving Harry the cue that he could leave to get working. "I've set up your old room; I'm sure Dobby has it warm and ready for you to use by now."

He watched as Harry spoke briefly with Professor Flitwick, making a copy of his notes so that the diminutive man could make a start on his part of the research while Harry still had the originals. The twenty-year-old dodged Molly quickly before making his escape, presumably heading to the third floor where his room was located.

----

Harry sighed heavily as he closed the door behind him. It was almost stifling being back in the wizarding world, laden with all the same burdens he had had before; but in a way it was a relief – no matter what he had done at university he had always felt that things were too quiet, he had unconsciously ached for something to happen, and he had only just realised that was how he had felt. He had been happy studying, spending time with Allie, Jayce, and all of his other non-magical friends; but they could never have the same understanding of him someone of wizarding background could.

But he was here now, and he had things he needed to do. A quick glance around the room showed a richly coloured bedroom containing a large bed surrounded by red hangings, much like those in the Gryffindor dormitory he had slept in for seven years; and a large wooden desk rivalling the Headmaster's in size set up with ink-wells, quills and a stack of parchment. To the right of the room when he entered was a doorway leading to a small bathroom, and it was here Harry headed after depositing the folder of notes on the desk. Splashing water on his face, Harry attempted to wake himself up again after a long day; his watch showed the time as a few minutes before midnight.

As refreshed as he could be, Harry sat at the desk and, pulling out some fresh parchment and a new quill, before going over his notes, made lists. One for listing everyone involved, and those who would need to be informed, another for the tasks he had already assigned, a third for equipment they would need, and a fourth listed things he needed to ask people or check up on. This list he put to the side of his desk, while all others he attached to the wall in front of him.

His general 'housekeeping' done, Harry opened the folder with his notes from years ago and started to revise them, making additional notes as he went and occasionally sending for Dobby to collect books from the library for him.

----

_Tap, tap. Tap, tap._ Harry lifted his head from his notes, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. Looking around the room, he located the source of the noise. An owl was perched outside his window, knocking its beak against the glass. With a frown, Harry glanced at his watch, eyes widening as he noticed it was already three-thirty a.m.; he had spent longer working than he had thought.

_Tap, tap._ The persistent bird reminded him of its presence, and the tired young wizard let it in, frowning again at the sight of the thick letter tied to its leg. Scrawled on the outside of the letter was his name in a familiar script. _Ron_.

With a moment of hesitation, Harry opened the letter and began to read.

_Harry,_

_I don't really know how to write this, but I've told myself I'm not going to bed until I've finished, so you're most likely reading this in the middle of the night for which I apologise._

_Three weeks ago – which would have been Saturday the 7th of October – I was having a few drinks in the Three Broomsticks. It wasn't late when I left, but it was dark enough outside that I couldn't see much outside the light of the streetlamps; which meant I didn't see the two men until they were dragging me into the alley next to the pub. They held onto my arms while a third took my wand from me before pushing a portkey into my hand._

_I'm not sure where we ended up; it was an old building made of stone from what I could see, we landed in what must have been the basement, there were no windows and the first room was bare. The three men – all large, built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle – directed me through a door into the next room which despite the dim light I could see was sparsely furnished with a chair and large table._

_Nobody had spoken to me yet, despite my yells and abuse – they seemed to not hear a word I said. I was pushed into the chair, unable to move because of a quickly placed binding spell, after which two of the men left the room, and a fourth man stepped from the shadows. This man was tall and lean; he had a tough look about him that suggested he was a fierce man when provoked, though he was always calm whenever I saw him. He was dark-haired and had a foreign look to him; he spoke with very precise English, though it didn't sound like his native language. That first time I saw him, I felt a sense of _wrongness_ about him. It grew stronger after I knew the reason for it._

_He said he had something to offer me, in exchange for which I would have to hand over the soul stone. He told me he knew where it was, and that he could not get to it himself, but I would be able to. I think at that point I told him to go to hell; there was nothing he could offer me that would convince me to betray the wizarding world. Well, that was what I thought then._

_I waited as he stood explaining where the soul stone was hidden, all the while wondering why he thought he could convince me. Once he had finished his explanation, he called for one of the guards to bring 'him' to the room. Then he explained what he could offer me._

_I didn't believe him, I knew what magical research had proven and that what he was claiming was supposed to be impossible. But I wanted to believe him, so I listened – not that I had much choice. He told me he was a necromancer; he told me he could bring Ginny and Hermione back from the dead._

_He said he had made advancements in the field, and had managed to bring a person back successfully – personality, magic and body; everything. I was openly disbelieving, I told him it was impossible; that there was no way he could manage to resurrect a person so completely. Then he told me he could prove it._

_The guard he had sent away earlier returned, followed by another person. This man was wearing a long robe with a hood up – his face in shadow. I didn't know him until the necromancer introduced him; and then, I didn't believe him despite all that he had been telling me. He introduced him as Lucius Malfoy._

_I knew Malfoy was dead, I saw him die, but when the man lowered the hood on his robe, it was definitely the Malfoy patriarch. That wasn't the most overwhelming thing, though. I know that resurrecting a body is easy enough in necromancy, but when Malfoy spoke, he had all the personality and characteristics he had had before his death. In other words he was just as scathing and arrogant as ever; he also proved to me that he was truly Malfoy by bringing up things nobody else could know._

_I didn't know what to do at this stage. The necromancer repeated his offer; he would resurrect Ginny and Hermione in return for me retrieving the soul stone and bringing it to him. He also made it clear that if I were to tell anyone he would make things very difficult and painful for not only me, but also the rest of my family. He was strange, however, in that he said if I refused he would let me go free – though he would erase parts of the conversation from my memory. I didn't entirely believe him on that last point though._

_After a while it became obvious to the necromancer that I wasn't going to answer him any time soon, so one of the guards led me to another room, this one modestly furnished with a bed and desk, a second door leading to a toilet. The room was eerie, lit only by a number of torches in sconces along the walls, but comfortable considering I was being held captive by a necromancer and former dead death eaters._

_They left me for a few hours – by the clock in the room I knew it was almost midnight – and I sat and thought about the offer. I knew it was wrong, but this was my sister and Hermione and if I could get them back … I wanted to see them again and talk with them again._

_I'm ashamed of my decision, yet if it had worked, I'm not sure I would have regretted it._

_As soon as I was in the room again with the necromancer I agreed to the offer. He gave a small smile, like he had expected my answer. Then he told me where the stone was; he didn't explain how he knew, but he gave me explicit directions about how to find it and what enchantments I would need to break to take it. He knew every detail about where it was; the forest it was in, the large rock that served as the anchor-point for the enchantments, and the various illusions that you layered over it. I have no idea how he had managed to get all this information – as far as I knew it was only you and Professor Dumbledore who would know it. I tried questioning him about it, but he brushed the questions aside for a while before telling me to stop wasting time._

_I was to meet up with the necromancer again one week later – he had given me a timed portkey – and hand over the soul stone. He would present the newly resurrected Ginny and Hermione to me a week after that, as he said it would take that long to revive them. Once he had explained the details of the meeting, and made sure I had remembered the directions to get the stone, he handed me another portkey which activated as soon as I touched it. The portkey took me to the same alley I had left from, and I numbly wandered back into the Three Broomsticks._

_Over the next few days I thought more about whether I was going to go through with the deal, twice going to the forest where the soul stone was hidden but turning back at the last. Eventually I went through with it, undoing the enchantments and wards in the precise order I had been instructed with. If I had had to figure it all out myself I wouldn't have stood a chance in getting the stone; but the knowledge the necromancer had was precise and detailed and I had no problems._

_I kept a low profile until the portkey activated, at which time I had holed myself up in my flat with excuses prepared for the day. I was taken to the same place as last time, the more comfortable room that is, and saw the necromancer sitting at the desk, with Malfoy senior standing behind him. They were both waiting for me, and I handed the stone over without saying anything. The necromancer smiled victoriously at me when he took it, protectively cradling it in his hands._

_Just as I was starting to stammer out a question about receiving my end of the deal he cut me off with a raised hand. He explained that he would give me another portkey that would activate in another week, taking me to a different place where Ginny and Hermione would be waiting for me. _

_The next week I was transported by the portkey to just outside a small house in the middle of nowhere, where the necromancer was waiting for me. He immediately invited me inside and there, sitting on the couch looking pale and nervous, but completely unhurt, was Ginny and Hermione._

_I can't tell you how it felt, I was a mess for the next hour – the necromancer had left pretty much straight away – but I was happier than I had been in a long time. They both seemed quiet and a little confused, they didn't remember everything, but they were alive!_

_I apparated them both home with me after they said they weren't ready to go into public or see anyone else. The next morning I was spelling and un-spelling a few items, trying not to be too behind in my tasks with my guests, when Ginny startled me. A stray _finite_ I was casting hit her and her form wavered, a panicked expression coming across her face._

_They were both impostors. I discovered they were witches of a similar age who had been charmed with some basic memories and personalities of Ginny and Hermione, as well as instructions on what they were to do. They were to get close to as many former Order members as possible before killing them._

_Both witches had been reported missing from Germany a year ago, I discovered, and had had ties to Death Eaters. Unfortunately, before I could find anything else out, they were killed by some spell. They are both in my apartment; I didn't know what else to do with them._

_I can't think of anything more to tell you, except that I'm sorry. I did something terrible because I thought I could get them back, it's lucky I discovered who they really were before anything else happened. I don't know what I can do to help, but I'll do anything you tell me._

_I'm sorry Harry._

_Ron._

Harry took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking, a part of him was still incredibly at Ron, but another part understood why he did it and wondered how he would react in the same situation. Could he have resisted the necromancer's offer? Harry wasn't sure, he could be rational about it now, but faced with the possibility he did not know what he would do.

Sighing, Harry looked at his clock – it was past four am now – and folded the letter up, placing it on top of the notes he had written earlier in the night. He would need to study it again to get as much information out of it as he could; but for now he decided to get a few hours rest, he wouldn't be any good if he couldn't stay awake.


End file.
